The Firehouse Yak: Steve Baker - Pushing Beyond the Status Quo in the Fire Service
Peter Matthews talks with Assistant Chief Steve Baker of the Plymouth, MN, Fire Department about how fire service delivery has evolved in his region.
Baker shares how the transition from volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters to combination and full-time agencies has led to faster responses and more efficient operations. He highlights the role of regionalized training, inter-agency collaboration, and a consistent command system in driving progress.
Baker emphasizes that lean staffing continues to limit departments from reaching their full potential and both current and future leaders need to understand the mandatory overtime and long work hours will take a serious toll on the next generation of the fire service.
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
Steve Baker
Steve Baker is a seasoned fire service leader with over 23 years of strategic and operational field experience. Currently serving as the Assistant Fire Chief of Professional Standards at the Plymouth Fire Department in Minnesota. He has been instrumental in leading organizational change, training, and fostering interagency collaboration.
Professional Highlights:
- 23 years in the fire service, including 18 years as a training officer
- 25 years as a paramedic
- 15 years as a tactical paramedic
- 18 years with the West Suburban Fire Academy
- Regional Response to Active Shooter instructor and board member
- Blue Card instructor and coordinator for Hennepin and Carver County partnership
