Ashley-Hudson Volunteer Fire Department Engineer Thomas O’Quinn

In this episode of Frontline Voices, we sit down and talk about one of the steady hands behind the scenes—Engineer Thomas “Tommy” O’Quinn.
Tommy represents the kind of firefighter every department depends on—the one who doesn’t need recognition, doesn’t chase the spotlight, but shows up every time ready to do the job right. As an engineer, he’s known for his deep knowledge of the apparatus, his attention to detail, and the confidence he brings to the pump when everything is on the line.
In this conversation, we highlight:
His path in the fire service and what led him to the engineer role
The responsibility that comes with being the one operators rely on
The importance of knowing your equipment inside and out
How consistency and accountability build trust within a crew
The kind of leadership that doesn’t need rank to make an impact
We also get into who Tommy is beyond the fireground—a guy who listens more than he talks, keeps things steady when it matters most, and brings a quiet strength that people naturally respect.
This episode is about the firefighters who form the backbone of every department—the ones you can count on, no matter the call.
If you know, you know—and if you don’t, this episode will show you exactly why guys like Tommy matter.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hello, this is uh frontline interviews. This is our introductory interview. Hopefully this goes well. Uh a little bit of introduction of how this is going to work. We're going to do an in-depth interview with members of the fire department that is specialized towards their expertise and their tenure. Um introducing today is Tommy O'Quinn. He is a long-serving engineer with the fire department. Ummy, is there anything you'd like to do on your introduction? Not really, not really. Okay. So we'll start. Um so Tommy, how long have you been with the department or with any fire department? Uh almost 19 years. 19 years. That's wonderful. Um so what all um classifications do you have or any training that you have? What's your main position within the fire department? Um, I've got our state-based training. Um pretty much I've done everything, I've held all the way up to a captain position, to a black hat, um, to an engineer position. Um, what inspired you to choose this path in the fire service? How did you get your start, and has that influenced your son? I started sorry, I I started obviously about 19 years ago as a junior. Um I had I have a lot of family, or I had eight. My brother was on the fire service, and then I had some members over there in Hudson that I called family that was on part of the service. Um my brother-wall kind of got me, took him to the station one time, and we started hanging out, and that became like a big family, and and that kind of got me my introductory in into the fire service. Um as the years have gone, obviously I've had a son, and and now he's on one of our probies here. And um kind of one of those things where I I put in the back of my mind, you know, it's a better better tomorrow for him, better tomorrow for my grandkids, and and you know, the rest of the members. You know, that's what kind of drives me to keep continuing on. That's absolutely wonderful to hear that the family has been involved for such a long time. Um, can you walk me through the progression of your career here from when you started to where you are now? Um started as a junior, 16 years old. Um worked my way up for I've obviously turned 18, got on the line, um, been on the line since 18, been a captain for or was a captain for I think four years. Um now looked at an engineer. Um what have you been the most memorable or defining moments in your career in the fire? Um the family aspect of it. The brotherhood is uh, you know, it to me that that's what makes this a great job. Um the brotherhood. I have your back, you have my back. Kind of atmosphere. So you'd say it was a pretty tight-knit family right here in the fire service? Yes. Or in this in the department, in the case of yes. What challenges did you face early in your career, and how did you overcome them? Um I started I didn't really have many challenges. I I didn't have many challenges. Um because back when I started now almost 19 years ago, it was in the old school technology old school technology and and this is just the way it was, you know, you you went and did the job and you come home and make sure everybody else come home with you, you know. How does it feel as a father to watch your son go through the same progressions that you've gone through? Kind of taking a step back. Uh it's I always figured my my son would follow you know suit because I've been in the service long, you know. Um he's 18, so he he's been there from from like day one, you know, he's been around it. Um to me it is it's amazing to sit back and watch. And he watched him step into the position or step into this role, um, and hopefully it will pay off really well for him. Um I'm proud of what he's become. That's absolutely wonderful to have a young man like that in this community. Um so as an engineer at your that's your title, what are your primary responsi responsibilities and how have they differed in the roles that you've had in the past? Um primary engineer position, I'm obviously I'm I'm um responsible to operate the truck. Um your wife is on the line if I can't do my job properly. So uh I take pride in trying to know or knowing how to operate the truck. Um because if you're at the end of the line and I run you out of water, I I wouldn't expect you to come and scream yelling. Um so I take pride in knowing how to operate the truck, I take pride in making sure you get to the home of your family. Um so since it's kind of what your responsibilities are. Can you take me through a typical day on a fire scene and what that's like for you? Uh typical day. I mean, on a fire scene, it would be you know, obviously get cruiser, um get them water. I mean, operate the pump, get them water. Um depends on in pound or rural fire, depends on how how you work out the water supply. Um if it's a roll fire, obviously it's gonna be a hanker or you're gonna be siphoning water out of a drop tank. Um all that plays factors on how to attack the fire on my end of it. Um if it's in town, obviously we're gonna hook a hydrant. Um so it there's there's things you've got to think about as an engineer or an operator, uh, where you're going and how you're going to make sure your crew gets to come home with you. Now, like you just said, um, as being prepared, how do you prepare yourself for the unexpected things that you might uh experience while you're on that scene? You really can't ever experience because every day is a different thing, every run's a different run. Um you may have a barn fire one day with full of hay, and then you know, the next day you have another barn fire full of old cars. You know, you never know what you're actually going to get into. So every day's a different you know day. Now, as you're operating it, are you thinking about different scenarios that could come up and how you would address them? Or are you kind of just like um acting on reaction? What where we're at, what we need. Now, obviously you're you're based on your training, yeah. But do you run through those scenarios of if this were to happen, what my next step is? Yeah, always. Always. Um you're always trying to think two steps ahead. I mean, you're looking at the scene, you're size, you know, scene size up, um, watching everything. Um I find as an operator, I'm always looking at the building, trying to make sure what's going on, always looking at the smoke, um, seeing what's you know my surroundings. You never get tunnel vision because when you get tunnel vision, you may miss something. And that could save your life or your crew's life. Now, how do you ensure the reliability and readiness of the equipment that you manage? Um especially under under pressure. Train, obviously, we train on it. Train makes perfect. You know, um all our trucks are serviced on a routine service, so everything will be up and ready to go. Um you get back to the station, it is you put the truck back on service, you get it, you know, back and ready to go, so everything is ready. So as soon as that bell goes off, you can get out the door and get you know service the community. Can you explain uh can you share an example of a particular challenge and situation you've encountered on the job and how you handled it, handled it? Um I'd say it'd probably be my first med run I ever ran on. Uh there was a gentleman at one of our factories here um in town. He got his hand smashed in a press. Um I was sitting on my knee, and the gentleman lay laying back into me to hold him, and they started to cut his glove. And the other members that was with me said the eyes started turning white. Um completely understandable. Oh, yes, most understandable. Um they they actually touched me on the shoulders to be okay, and I'm like, yeah, I just, you know, I had to refocus on what needed to be done at the time. So I, you know, once I got my posure again, I'm like, okay, well, we're good to go. Let's just, you know, let's take care of the patient. Piggybacking off of that, how has firefighting equipment and technology evolved with over your career? And how has that impacted your work? Um, obviously, everything has gotten newer. Uh, trucks are getting bigger, they're longer, they're more um tech uh electrical technology to them, or you know, um some of that is a I think you know a good change, some of it could be bad. Um, but I think it I think they're in the right direction with the new technology on the trails. Now, using that new technology, can you talk about the importance of training on trails and ensuring effectiveness of the firefighting equipment? Yeah. Um like I said before, training makes perfect, you know, it's like in any aspect sports or anything like that. I mean, it is you know the more you practice, the more you're comfortable with the equipment, the more you are um ready to operate the equipment, you know. Oh, absolutely, yes, absolutely. Um, with that, how do you ensure safety, not only for yourself, but for your your crew, your teammates out there? Just training, you know, training the what are some of the biggest biggest challenges in maintaining and operating a firefighting equipment? Um I don't I mean I don't obviously we we routine maintenance. I mean, you know, um we're fortunate enough to have enough equipment here where we can take something out of service for you know routine maintenance and or break down and still have a backup plan here. Um we are pretty fortunate to have that here. I imagine that in in these runs and stuff like that, you see some things that are not the average person sees. How do you handle the physical and the emotional stress that it puts on you? Um that was a tough one. Um I've seen some I've seen some things that haunt me. Um you you talk about it, you if it gets to a point where you you you can't handle it, um it's kind of nice. It's like it's the familyhood, you know, the brotherhood here. You know, you can talk to somebody. Um you're never should never count anybody out because everything's different. You know, everybody handles stress differently here. Now in finding ways to handle those situations on your own, when you have newer firefighters or or junior firefighters, how do you mentor them to help them progress in their own careers? Um give them give them the tools that they need. Um give them the knowledge that you have. You know, if they have asked questions, you you answer the question best you can. Um with my son going into the junior of the the academy classes in school, um I've like I explained to him, you know, you are gonna learn things that we do different here that they do it there in the academy class. Um you may take some and bring that some of that back, or bring most of that back and tweak your the way you do things. But if you always have questions, there's always members that are up here that are can answer those questions or try to help them with his progression into the career into the you know his career. So, what kind of advice would you give somebody used to fire service? Either being somebody that starts late in life, that's starting as a as an adolescent, what would you say to them would be the best piece of advice that you've either gotten or that you've taken on yourself that you'd like to share? This is the best job in the world. Best job in the world. Absolutely. I 100% agree. Um how do you see firefighting and the fire service in general advancing into the future? Um like you said before, it's the technology on the trucks are are getting newer, the trucks are getting newer. Um If they're in the right direction, I think it's the equipment, like the air packs, the face masks, the gear, everything is getting newer. Um, unfortunately, the the stuff that your furniture is made out of, your beds are made out of, they're getting cheaper to be made, so it's more harmful for us. Um but we our gear, like I said, our equipment is all getting newer, is all getting better made to keep us safe. Um, can you share with us one of the most proud moments that you've had in your time here with your career in the fireplace? Watching my son put turnout you off. I I imagine that is a very proud moment for you. Um looking back on your career, is there anything that you would have done differently? No. Well, that's to live without any kind of uh I don't have any regrets, absolutely. When the day comes and you're ready to hang up your boots, what do you want your legacy to be in the fire service as a firefighter, as a person in the community? I I don't really look for a legacy or or I don't want no one to know who I was. Um I joined the commer joined the service uh almost 19 years ago, not to have an image, not to, you know, have a pat on my back. It was a better tomorrow, a future, you know, uh for my grandkids to help my community. Um I don't want an attaboy or nothing like that. I it's just one of those things where I just do it because it's the right thing to do, and so we do it. That is a wonderful, humble answer, Tommy. And I think with that we're gonna close up our interview today, and we want to thank Tommy O'Quinn for stopping by, and uh we'll continue this hopefully on a bi-weekly basis. Is there anything that you would like to share before we go? Proud to be a member, proud to have you as a fire club, a fire partner. Well, thank you, Tommy. Everybody, you have a great day.