Rick Lasky

Richard "Rick" Lasky is an emergency services consultant, author, motivational speaker, and former chief of the Lewisville, Texas Fire Department. Originally from the Chicago area, Lasky worked in various capacities for police and fire departments in Illinois and Idaho before moving to Lewisville, where he was the city's fire chief for 11 years. He retired as chief in 2011 to become a full-time consultant and educator. He has written one book and co-authored another.

Rick Lasky
Born
Chicago, Illinois
Occupation(s)Consultant
Author
Motivational speaker
Fire chief (retired)
Children1 Son, 1 Daughter
AwardsInternational Society of Fire Service Instructors "Innovator of the Year", 1996
Websitewww.chieflasky.com

Early life

Lasky was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Lyons Township High School in La Grange. Although he considered playing Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox after some success in the sport, he eventually worked for the police departments in Justice and Willow Springs before becoming a firefighter paramedic in Bedford Park.[1] As a battalion commander for the Darien–Woodridge Fire Protection District, Lasky was named the 1996 "Innovator of the Year" by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors for creating a training program aimed towards saving injured firefighters.[2] Lasky became the chief of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Fire Department in 1998, where he attracted praise for his reforms to the department there.[3]

Lewisville chief
Bass drums, each marked with a distinctive logo of a fire department, are stacked in front of a building
Stacked bass drums during the 2011 Keeping Tradition Alive event in Lewisville

Lasky was hired as chief of the fire department in Lewisville, Texas in April 2000.[4] After the September 11 attacks, Lasky, who knew many New York City firefighters and was a close friend of chief Peter Ganci,[5] and the Lewisville Fire Department gained national attention when they raised over $200,000 for the families of New York City Firefighters. The fundraising effort caught the attention of John Travolta, who visited Lewisville as a favor to Lasky while promoting the film Ladder 49.[6] In 2004, Lasky formed a bagpipe band and honor guard for the Lewisville Fire Department,[7] and in 2008, the department began holding the Keeping Tradition Alive Symposium, which brings hundreds of members of various bagpipe bands and honor guards representing various firefighting units across the country.[8] In 2011, Lasky was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Michael C. Burgess.[9]

Consultant

Lasky retired in 2011 after 11 years as chief of the Lewisville Fire Department,[10] and began consulting full-time with John Salka, who led the New York City Fire Department's 18th Battalion.[11] They operate Five Alarm Leadership, LLC, which provides consulting aimed towards improving safety and efficiency in fire departments. He has authored a book, Pride & Ownership: A Firefighter's Love of the Job, co-hosts a firefighting-themed podcast, Command Post,[12] and gives presentations and speeches at fire departments across the country.[13]

Works
  • Lasky, Rick (2006-06-30). Pride & Ownership: A Firefighter's Love of the Job. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell. ISBN 978-1-59370-078-2. OCLC 64896524. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  • Lasky, Rick; Salka, John (2013-03-31). Five Alarm Leadership: From the Firehouse to the Fireground. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell. ISBN 978-1-59370-234-2. OCLC 819641586.

References
  1. "Lasky, Rick". 16inchsoftballhof.com. 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame. 2011. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  2. "Lasky is ISFSIs 1996 Innovator of the Year; Fleming is Instructor of the Year". FireEngineering.com. 1997-09-01. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  3. Taggart, Cynthia (2000-02-10). "Super Chief". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  4. Gaddy, Angie (2000-04-29). "Coeur d'Alene Sorry to See its Fire Chief Go". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  5. Conrad, Bill (2011-09-15). "Plano Remembers the First Responders Killed in Terrorist Attacks". Plano Star-Courier. Star Community Papers. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  6. Formby, Brandon (2004-09-19). "Firefighter Movie Hits its Target: Three Actors Visit Station to Promote Film Chief Calls 'Extremely Accurate'". The Dallas Morning News. 10537F810C0C4F90. Retrieved 2013-05-19 – via NewsBank.
  7. Formby, Brandon (2004-10-08). "Pipes are Calling to City Firefighters: Council Approves $31,000 For Honor Guard, Instruments". The Dallas Morning News. 1059C24316507A8D. Retrieved 2013-05-20 – via NewsBank.
  8. Matocha, Nancy (2013-04-29). "Bagpipers, Drummers to Gather for Jam Session in Lewisville". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  9. 2011 Congressional Record, Vol. 157, Page E1541 (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)
  10. Goodwin, Heather (2011-05-27). "Chief Lasky to Retire in the Fall". Lewisville Leader. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  11. Halton, Bobby (2011-08-31). "Rick Lasky's Retirement Celebration". FireEngineering.com. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  12. Lasky, Rick; Salka, John (2013-05-02). "Episode 518: Command Post". BlogTalkRadio (Podcast). Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  13. Spann, Margo (2010-03-13). "Firefighters and EMS Workers Gather in Marathon for Inspiration". WSAW-TV. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
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