Part 1: Planning for the Future with Chief Greg DeWitt of Bonita Fire

When you think of local businesses, you’re probably not thinking about one very big, very important local business. In fact, this business had a budget last year of $38 million, and if you pay taxes in Bonita, about 70% of that was funded by you and me.

I’m talking about the Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue district, and today’s guest is Greg DeWitt, who became the CEO—better known as the fire chief—in January of 2020.

We dive into the business of the department, and surprisingly, it’s more than just putting out fires. As you might expect, it’s a capital-intensive business, with a lot of physical properties to maintain—not just the trucks we think of, but firehouses themselves and all the speciality equipment that goes on a rig, and even a boat—which makes sense for our water-centric community, right?

But you might not expect that Bonita Fire is debt free, with careful planning ahead to be able to buy properties or replace equipment to support our town’s growth.

As a new chief but with a lot of history, we had a lot to talk about. So I’ve broken this interview into two separate episodes.

At a high level, in this, the first part, we talk about the past and the present of the fire department; in the second, we talk more about the future. That episode will be released next, so watch for it! Better yet, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and that way you’ll never miss an episode.

I know you’ll enjoy my interview with Chief DeWitt. But first, would you help me thank our sponsor,  the Spotlight News Magazine. It’s local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com.

Also, we’re grateful for the support of Audible, which offers our listeners a free audiobook when you sign up for a new 30-day trial membership. Just go to AudibleTrial.com/CoachDarcy, and you’ll get started today.