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Firefighter Finds 'Perfect' Position

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By JOYCE McKENZIE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

TEMPLE TERRACE - Ian Kemp has landed the 'perfect' position in Temple Terrace.

As the new Temple Terrace assistant fire chief, he no longer has to commute from his Tampa residence to Fort Lauderdale, where he served as a battalion chief in its fire department. He also is able to spend more time with his family: wife, Tamera, who is a Tampa Fire Rescue lieutenant, and his 8-year-old stepson, Connor.

He's thrilled to be among what he calls 'the utmost of professionals' in a fire department that is one of 125 agencies worldwide to achieve accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

'It's also so nice to work for a department that receives the support of the city officials and one the community really supports,' said Kemp, who witnessed the latter firsthand during the department's recent open house.

Kemp said he knew right away he wanted to join the department when he met with Fire Chief Keith Chapman.

'He and I are a lot alike, and we both want to move the department forward,' Kemp said.

Kemp began his new job Oct. 2 and has been charged with keeping up with the myriad paperwork and reports required to maintain the department's accreditation status, which it achieved in 2006. He also will handle budget issues, maintenance of its 17 vehicles and updating the department's standard of operations guidelines.

Kemp became interested in establishing a career in firefighting when he worked part time with the Miami-Dade Fire Department.

'They always seemed to be a happy group of individuals, and I've since determined the best part of this job is going home knowing you've made a positive impact on other people's lives,' Kemp said.

Kemp grew up in Miami and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of South Florida in 1989. He worked briefly for IBM before beginning his full-time career in 1991 with the Naples Fire Department. For the past 14 years, he has worked in Fort Lauderdale.

While in college, he lived in Temple Terrace and hoped someday his career path would take him back to the small-town atmosphere he so admires about the city.

'I believe my job here is to help others do their jobs better,' he said. 'But, as administrators, we can't set ourselves apart from the firefighters. We all want to give Temple Terrace residents the best service possible.'

Chapman is proud to have Kemp on board.

'He has a stellar resume and a good skill set that I think will definitely benefit our department,' Chapman said.

City Manager Kim Leinbach's observations of Kemp were similar to Chapman's.

'Ian is very personable, and he'll keep the department going in a positive direction,' he said.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

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