Lessons in Truck Company Operations and Leadership

From playing basketball in Chicago firehouse bays to spending 26 years climbing the ranks in Birmingham, OJ Kolodziej built his career on discipline, technical execution, and self-investment. Starting out, the now-retired captain from the Birmingham (AL) Fire Department spent a year and a half floating between stations before securing a spot on heavy rescue and truck companies—a role that required both physical toughness and deep mental agility. Through years of forced entry, search operations, and technical rescues, Kolodziej learned that true truck work isn't just about swinging tools; it's about reading the building, understanding the exact purpose behind every tactic, and operating seamlessly as a unit.   Now stepping into a new chapter as a firefighter-paramedic with the Cahaba Valley (AL) Fire District, he brings decades of leadership back to the ground level, offering a realistic look at transition, humility, and maintaining the highest standards of the fire service craft.