Battalion Chief Tim Vasin

Persisted, learned, promoted

Sometimes it takes repetition and persistence to make things happen. Or, as Matt Leinart a former USC quarterback said in a Daily Pilot article:

"To achieve your dreams … you have to put in the time. You're always going to go through ups and downs, but that's what makes life so special. It's when you encounter those different scenarios … whether it's an injury in football or whether it's a family problem, or it's school, you have the choice to right that, you have the choice to work even harder and say, 'You know what? I'm going to get past this. I have the strength and courage to succeed.'"

 20 years experience or one year 20 times

This brings up the idea of rising through the ranks, developing the new skills and insights needed to do first a good, then a better job at each level. In Costa Mesa, Fire Captain Tim Vasin was promoted to Battalion Chief. His promotion becomes effective August 25 with his first day as “C” shift Battalion Chief on Monday, August 26.

The City’s announcement said:

Tim has had a very successful career as a Firefighter/Paramedic, Fire Captain, and President of the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association. Tim also brings a wealth of knowledge and talent as the fire department continues to move forward with its reorganization.

So many of us learn the basics and then just float along, doing everything the way we were taught, and avoiding risk until we retire. We say,

 “Well I was taught by X…and he said we should do it this way is the intellectual equivalent of chewing gum. There is no nutritional value.”

Thinking is "high nutrition"

Tim has clearly learned to think outside the box; he seeks and finds new ways to do things. That ability will be key to his success as a Battalion Chief as the department continues to reorganize and make better and better use of the Department’s resources.

Good luck, Tim.