Fire Chief Pansini thinks Burbank should market its best jobs to future locals - Our kids

Our city's local fire chief passionately believes that some of Burbank's most valuable resources are sitting in local 8 th- and 9 th-grade classrooms and he wants to do something now to encourage that resource to be part of a great future in Burbank.

"I believe you're committed and connected not to the community you work in, but the community you live in," said Tracy Pansini, Fire Chief of Burbank.

I first heard Pansini's ideas when he spoke to a Rotary Luncheon in June. He said that when he joined the Burbank Fire Department 28 years ago, 40 percent of the firefighters lived in Burbank and the rest lived close by. Today, less than 10 percent of the city's 120 firefighters are locals, he said; the rest come from other areas, including Orange and San Bernardino counties.

Meanwhile, some 15,000 kids are growing up in Burbank. Most of them, along with their parents and educators, think getting a college degree is the only smart path to a good career. Pansini doesn't knock college, but he's amazed at how few people are aware of the rewarding and high-paying blue collar jobs available in the city of Burbank not just in firefighting but in many departments, from the Water and Power Department to Parks and Recreation.

"I'd like to encourage our schools to allow us to partner together. What we need to do is to plant the seeds of these jobs early. The second year of middle school would be ideal," he said. "We have a Regional Occupation Program, but those kids are in the 11 th or 12 th grade when we see them, and by that time it's too late for them and us because they've already set a career course."

Pansini said research shows that most people like to remain where they grew up because of family and friends.

"So if you're born and raised in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, or the surrounding areas and this is where your family nucleus is, you have more commitment to the community and public service jobs like firefighting are really all about serving the community. These jobs may not require a college degree, but they're challenging, satisfying, high-paying jobs with great benefits. We need to farm and market our local talent for these jobs because locals are the best people to fill them."

For more information about job opportunities with the City of Burbank, or to express your support of Pansini's dream of seeing the city partner with local middle schools to encourage kids to consider future careers with the city, visit the city's Web site at ci.burbank.ca.us.