TERRY COWOSKI
CITY OF SHAKER HEIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chagrin Falls,OH
26
years of professional experience
1
Certification
Results-driven Fire Service and Emergency Management Leader with 29 years of experience in municipal fire operations and emergency response. As Battalion Chief, led personnel and managed emergency operations while overseeing a multi-building fire safety program. Expertise in policy development, regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and organizational leadership, complemented by hands-on business management experience in the private sector.
Work History
Fire Safety Engineer
13 Years 6 Months- Lead fire and life safety operations at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, a major academic healthcare campus consisting of 17 buildings, approximately 5.5 million square feet, and 25 acres. Manage a team of seven Fire Safety associates and provide leadership and consultation regarding fire protection, life safety, regulatory compliance, emergency preparedness, construction, and risk management.
- Provided leadership for fire safety operations and personnel management.
- Oversaw day-to-day operations of Fire Safety Department, supervising seven associates to ensure compliance and effective safety management.
- Cultivated high-reliability culture emphasizing safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and risk reduction across departments.
- Work collaboratively with senior leadership and multidisciplinary departments to address complex organizational safety issues.
- Developed and maintained fire safety policies and compliance standards.
- Research, develop, evaluate, and update fire and life safety policies, procedures, and standards.
- Ensure departmental practices align with applicable fire, building, life safety, and healthcare regulatory requirements.
- Conduct fire and life safety inspections and identify conditions requiring corrective action.
- Perform risk assessments and participate in incident investigations.
- Develop practical corrective actions and follow-up strategies to address identified deficiencies.
- Serve as a system resource and subject-matter expert for fire and life safety issues.
- Reviewed fire safety plans for construction projects to ensure compliance.
- Conduct fire and life safety plan reviews for construction and renovation projects.
- Partner with Facilities Engineering, Construction Services, Infection Prevention, Risk Management, and other departments during project planning and execution.
- Evaluate fire protection system impairments, emergency egress, hazardous areas, and life safety impacts associated with construction and maintenance activities.
- Coordinated fire and life safety requirements for complex remediation and risk-reduction projects, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards.
- Work with Risk Management and insurance carriers on significant safety and property-loss prevention initiatives.
- Manage and coordinate multiple projects with competing priorities in a large and complex healthcare environment.
- Developed training programs for fire and life safety education.
- Develop and assign fire and life safety training programs.
- Provide instruction and consultation to healthcare staff and leadership.
- Participate in emergency preparedness and response planning.
- Coordinated with fire departments and emergency response agencies to ensure seamless facility operations during emergencies.
- Fire Safety Officer | February 2011 – March 2013
Battalion Chief
13 Years 11 Months- Progressive 29-year fire service career with increasing responsibility in emergency operations, personnel leadership, training, fire prevention, and department administration. Currently supervise and lead B-Shift, consisting of 18 fire service personnel, while providing command and operational oversight for fire, EMS, rescue, hazardous materials, and other emergency incidents.
- Oversaw leadership and management of departmental functions.
- Supervised, assigned, trained, coached, and evaluated B-Shift personnel to ensure operational readiness and high performance.
- Serve in leadership and command roles during complex incidents, coordinating personnel, apparatus, equipment, and other resources.
- Supervise personnel and assist in coordinating effective emergency operations under rapidly changing conditions.
- Maintain extensive experience in fireground operations, EMS response, apparatus operations, and pump operations.
- Serve as an Incident Command Instructor, teaching Blue Card principles to department personnel and members of surrounding fire departments.
- Identified operational issues, evaluated risks, and developed practical solutions that enhanced department operations.
- Managed incident command during emergency situations.
- Supervise, assign, train, coach, and evaluate personnel assigned to B-Shift.
- Provide daily leadership and maintain discipline, accountability, operational readiness, and high performance among assigned personnel.
- Participate in personnel development and provide mentoring and leadership to firefighters and company officers.
- Develop work assignments and ensure staffing and departmental responsibilities are completed effectively.
- Exercise sound judgment and make operational decisions in dynamic and high-risk environments.
- Identify operational issues, evaluate risks, and develop practical solutions to improve department operations.
- Coordinated training programs for fire service personnel.
- Conducted and coordinated comprehensive fire service training for department personnel, ensuring skill proficiency and safety compliance.
- Conduct fire and life safety inspections in commercial, residential, and educational occupancies.
- Identify hazardous conditions and work with property owners and responsible parties to improve compliance and reduce risk.
- Apply knowledge of fire prevention, hazardous materials, flammable and combustible liquids and gases, emergency response, and fire protection systems.
- Maintain operational experience in hazardous materials, trench rescue, confined-space rescue, and high-angle rope rescue.
- Managed procurement and specifications for firefighting equipment.
- Created specifications for a department Command Vehicle.
- Participated as a member of the team responsible for purchasing and inspecting approximately $1 million in fire apparatus.
- Developed specifications for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
- Evaluate apparatus, equipment, and operational needs to support personnel safety and emergency readiness.
- Managed labor relations and employee engagement activities.
- Directed union activities as president from 2009 to 2012.
- Contributed to labor negotiations and labor-management discussions.
- Addressed employee safety issues and served on safety-related initiatives.
- Managed employee concerns and grievance-related matters while working with department and municipal leadership.
- Lieutenant | November 2007 – October 2012
- Primary Driver/Firefighter | January 1997 – November 2007
- Paramedic/Firefighter | November 1993 – January 1997
Owner
9 Years 2 Months- Founded and operated a snow removal and landscaping business that grew to include six trucks and up to 10 employees.
- Oversaw business operations, supervising personnel, scheduling, sales, marketing, bookkeeping, equipment maintenance, and customer service.
- Developed customer relationships and managed business growth.
- Balanced staffing, equipment, scheduling, and financial resources to meet operational demands.
- Planned equipment acquisition, maintenance, and operational deployment.
- Cultivated customer relationships to drive business growth and enhance client retention.
- Balanced staffing, equipment, scheduling, and financial resources to optimize operational efficiency.
Education
Associate Degree - Fire Science
Skills
Emergency Incident Command
Fire Department Operations & Administration
Emergency response operations
Fire & Life Safety Inspections
Hazardous Materials & Technical Rescue
Construction & Plan Review
Policy development
Regulatory Compliance
Emergency Management & NIMS
Fireground Safety & Risk Management
Incident investigation
Training development
Strategic planning
Personnel supervision
Leadership development
Public relations
Certification
Certified Healthcare Safety Professional, Ohio Fire Safety Inspector, Ohio Firefighter II, Ohio Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Blue Card Incident Command System, NIMS / ICS-100, NIMS / ICS-200, NIMS / ICS-300, NIMS / ICS-400, NIMS / ICS-700, NIMS / ICS-800, Emergency Vehicle Operator Certification, Trench & Excavation Safety – Competent Person, Trench & Excavation Rescue – Operations, Confined Space Entry & Rescue – Operations, High-Angle Rope Rescue – Operations, Hazardous Materials – Operations, Ohio Class A Commercial Driver's License
Personal Information
Driving License: Ohio Class A Commercial Driver's License
Timeline
Fire Safety Engineer
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS HEALTH SYSTEM
03.2013 - CurrentRead More
Battalion Chief
CITY OF SHAKER HEIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT
10.2012 - CurrentRead More
Owner
OHIO TURF / OHIO PLOW
03.2001 - 05.2010Read More
CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Associate Degree from Fire Science
Read More