Meet Firefighter Michael Sepulveda

Firefighter Michael SepulvedaRecruit Class 8 is now serving at a fire station near you! Get to know Madison's newest firefighters.

Where are you stationed?
I am at Fire Station 12 on the 'B' shift.

Why did you want to pursue this career?
My father was a volunteer firefighter in California, where we grew up. I remember him coming home and smelling the soot off his boots, and dreaming of the day that I would become a firefighter just like him. It was my dream job since I was a child, so when the opportunity opened in Madison, I decided to follow my dreams. Through a lot of hard work and determination, I am now proud to be a Madison firefighter.

My significant other is from Madison and had family members who were on the department for many years and ended up having a wonderful career. They had encouraged me to apply for MFD during the open enrollment hiring process. After exploring this awesome city, getting to know the community, and the culture, I realized that Madison would be a great place to call “home.”  And, hey, who can argue with cheese curds at any given time?

The most rewarding part of my experience thus far has been the continuous learning and growing process. From the first day of academy, to your first day at the fire house, through my fellow firefighters and our leaders, they continue to provide us with substantial knowledge from their own experience to help us learn what it takes to become a leader in our community. 

Since graduating from the Academy, what are among the most memorable experiences you’ve had?
The most memorable experience that I had was getting called to a commercial dryer fire. Our crew was able to put it out, and not a lot of damage was done. Pretty exciting to already have fought my first fire!

Looking back at the Fire Academy, what was the most challenging part?
The most challenging element of the Fire Academy was the mental and physical training Monday through Friday for 16 straight weeks. Most days were both taxing and draining. It was hard coming home sore, beat-up and bruised, and to know we weren’t done yet – we still had to do hours of book work. Going through the academy required a lot of support and understanding from loved ones. It can take a toll on a person both physically and mentally. However, the constant motivation from family, friends, and fellow classmates to finish as a team was extremely rewarding and eye-opening. It was a great sense of pride and accomplishment to cross the stage, get pinned and sworn in at the end of the Fire Academy. That made every minute of sweat, blood, and tears in the academy worthwhile.


Category: Station 12, General