It was “love at first flame” for Chief Clare Frank, who was first formally introduced to the fire service as a teenager, eager to get on the line, and whose passion for the work propelled her forward, as she rose from seasonal firefighter to fire chief at the Milpitas (California) Fire Department and, ultimately, CAL FIRE’s chief of fire protection. Frank’s love of firefighting is palpable throughout her book, “Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire,” a detailed look at her winding path within the fire service, even her time as a lawyer and peace officer. Frank shares some of her funniest, most compelling, even painful stories from her career with the Better Every Shift team. Plus, we dig into this:
- Her reaction to a captain’s comment, “I’ve never had a girl I haven’t fired.”
- Her early take on restructuring the California fire service – and hindsight being 20/20
- The “primal scream” moment of her career
- The fire that turned the tables on Frank
Read an excerpt from “Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire.”
This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.
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