For first responders, the call to serve doesn’t always stop at the firehouse, the ambulance or the squad car. Many take their dedication to the community a step further by getting involved in civics, leveraging their public safety experiences to tackle societal issues from a new perspective. For some, serving in public office or on local boards is just an extension of the values instilled through years of assisting community members during their worst days.
Zac Unger is running for a city council seat in Oakland, California, and has served as a firefighter-paramedic with the Oakland Fire Department since 1998. For Unger, civic engagement is a natural extension of his skillset.
“I grew up in a household that believes very firmly in giving back, and the greatest thing you can do is to serve the folks around you,” he says.
It all boils down to public service, Unger said, whether that’s running into a burning building, responding to someone suffering cardiac arrest or crafting legislation that improves life for the community.
Greg Schwarze, a retired firefighter-paramedic running for re-election to the County Board District 6 in DuPage, Illinois, agrees with Unger’s position on serving the public.
“I have spent my entire adult life in public service,” Schwarze said, reflecting on his roles as a 28-year veteran first responder, public education officer and now a county board member. His experiences have shaped his priorities in office, from advocating for seniors struggling with food insecurity to addressing mental health and addiction issues: “Many of the issues important to me stem from my fire career experiences.”
That desire to alleviate the problems community members face echoes the “can-do” attitude that many first responders are known for.
“There’s no fire department for the fire department to call. We must solve every problem that’s put in front of us,” Unger said. This attitude, forged in crisis situations, prepares first responders to confront the challenges of public policy, where resources are often limited and the issues are complex, but he reminds us, “that doesn’t mean problems go away.”
First responders who transition into politics are also in a more secure position than others running for election, Unger said, which allows them to be more honest with the public, as their livelihood is not on the line.
“I think a lot of politicians run for school board or city council and they’re already measuring the drapes in the governor’s office and plotting their next course,” he said. “As a firefighter, I have the luxury of having had a whole career. I could just retire and I’d be fine, so that gives me the freedom to legislate exactly the way that I think is right, and if people don’t like it, they can vote my butt out of there.”
For both Unger and Schwarze, civic involvement is not about political ambition, but about making a tangible difference. Schwarze, who proudly notes that his campaign signs can be found in both Democrat and Republican yards, emphasizes the importance of keeping partisan politics out of his work.
“Public safety, food insecurity, mental health and addiction issues don’t distinguish between Democrat and Republican,” Schwarze said. It’s a reminder that, for first responders, the mission remains the same: to serve and protect all community members, whether in uniform or behind a desk.
During Schwarze’s first-term run for the Dupage County Board seat in 2021, he recalls working more than a dozen 48-hour shifts that year to make it work. Despite the challenge, Schwarze was motivated by the opportunity to continue serving his community in new ways, and by using the problem-solving skills, empathy and resilience cultivated during his career.
First responders “have a strong connection to the community and are natural problem solvers,” Schwarze said. “Civic involvement lets us continue serving by bringing those skills to leadership roles. It’s another way to give back and make a difference.”
Electing leaders who have firsthand experience helping people through the struggles of daily living ensures that those in office are not just policymakers, but also advocates who have lived the challenges they seek to address. Whether responding to a medical emergency or a domestic violence call, or navigating the complexities of local government, first responders like Unger and Schwarze prove that the call to serve never truly ends.
As Unger describes his campaign, “This is the last step in a public service career, rather than the first step of a political career.”
