Roger Lewis is the new president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters Local 122.
HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN PRESIDENT?
For just a couple of weeks. Lewis was serving as vice president when former president Randy White was appointed to assistant chief of the Fire Department. He took over the presidency and will serve until December when the Association will hold elections. Lewis will then run for a two-year term.
WHAT ARE HIS RESPONSIBILITIES?
As president, Lewis oversees the day-to-day operations of the 1,100-member association. “We make sure the people in the field are protected, both in their living and working conditions. And I act as a voice for them, usually to the administration, but also for the public.” Maintaining unity is also an important part of the job. “It feels really good right now. We’re a unified group more than we ever have been.”
WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR FIRE STATION NO. 8?
The association is working with the Historical Society and Riverside Avondale Preservation on a restoration project for the historic Fire Station 8 and six-story former training tower at Stockton Street. The group has used the location as the site of its home office for the past seven months. “We’re working to bring it back to the way it looked in its heyday. We want to make it as appealing to the public as it is to us.” The group is going to repaint the window trim and is considering the best possible use of the building. A multi-level gym is a possibility. And the building has personal significance for Lewis. “I was one of the last rookies to use it as training.”
DOES HE MISS BEING IN THE FIELD?
Yes, but he keeps an ear involved with a walkie-talkie in his office. “I’m on the first wave of notification. I do miss the field, but I really enjoy this position. I enjoy the politics of it. I’ve been a champion for underdog causes all of my career and this allows me to exercise control over that.”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Lewis started as a rookie in Engine 44. He moved to a hazardous materials unit at Station 7, a team that was specially trained to deal with chemical spills and unusual leaks. He was promoted to engineer and stayed with that unit for about seven years. Lewis then made lieutenant and and eventually captain. He worked as captain of one branch of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team, a special operations unit that works out of fire stations four and 13 and that was formed, in part, because of Sept. 11.“The team is trained to deal with building collapse, trench rescue and high angle rescue." Through it all, Lewis has been active in the association. “I felt there was a need for more field personnel to speak up to make sure Union leadership is taking up for us, as well as City leadership.”
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES?
Lewis owns Lewis Fabrications, a welding and fabrication company he started about five years ago. Now that he’s dealing with a more demanding schedule, his sons are helping him run it. He also patented a product that he created — a stepboard for his truck. Lewis has two sons, a daughter and a granddaughter.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES HE’LL BE FACING DURING HIS TERM?
Not surprisingly, safety is the biggest concern. “We also need to look at our equipment. All of our members want to do a better job and they can ‘t do that with dilapidated equipment.” Lewis also wants the association to maintain a high level of political activism, like it did in the John Peyton mayoral campaign. “It’s been great to see this many people come together for a common goal.”
— by Bailey White