{{Infobox person | name = Rick Lasky | other_names = | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois | birth_name = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | known = | occupation = Consultant<br>Author<br>Motivational speaker<br>Fire chief | children = 1 Son, 1 Daughter | relations = | website = {{URL|http://www.chieflasky.com/}} | awards = International Society of Fire Service Instructors "Innovator of the Year", 1996 }} '''Richard "Rick" Lasky''' is an emergency services consultant, author, motivational speaker, and former fire chief of the Lewisville, Texas, Fire Department the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Fire Department, and the Estes Valley Fire Protection District Estes Park, Colorado, as well as serving as the interim chief of the Trophy Club, Texas Fire Department, and currently serving as the interim chief of the Lucas, Texas Fire Department. Originally from the Chicago area, Lasky worked in various capacities for police and fire departments in Illinois and Idaho before moving to Lewisville, where he was the city's fire chief for 11 years. He retired as chief in Lewisville in 2011 to become a full-time consultant and educator. He has written one book and co-authored another.
==Early life== Lasky was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Lyons Township High School in La Grange. Although he considered playing Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox after some success in the sport, he eventually worked for the police departments in Justice and Willow Springs before becoming a firefighter paramedic in Bedford Park.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.16inchsoftballhof.com/inductees.asp?inducteeId=549 |title=Lasky, Rick |work=16inchsoftballhof.com |publisher=16-inch Softball Hall of Fame |year=2011 |access-date=2013-05-19 }}</ref> As a battalion commander for the Darien–Woodridge Fire Protection District, Lasky was named the 1996 "Innovator of the Year" by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors for creating a training program aimed towards saving injured firefighters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-150/issue-9/departments/news-in-brief/lasky-is-isfsis-1996-innovator-of-the-year-fleming-is-instructor-of-the-year.html |title=Lasky is ISFSIs 1996 Innovator of the Year; Fleming is Instructor of the Year |date=1997-09-01 |work=FireEngineering.com |access-date=2013-05-20 }}</ref> Lasky became the chief of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Fire Department in 1998, where he attracted praise for his reforms to the department there.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |date=2000-02-10 |last=Taggart |first=Cynthia |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uGRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WvIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3699%2C1190839 |title=Super Chief |access-date=2013-05-20 }}</ref>
==Lewisville chief== [[File:Lewisville FD Drums.jpg|thumb|right|Stacked bass drums during the 2011 Keeping Tradition Alive event in Lewisville|alt=Bass drums, each marked with a distinctive logo of a fire department, are stacked in front of a building]] Lasky was hired as chief of the fire department in Lewisville, Texas, in April 2000.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |date=2000-04-29 |last=Gaddy |first=Angie |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XLsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4006%2C6438537 |title=Coeur d'Alene Sorry to See its Fire Chief Go |access-date=2013-05-20 }}</ref> After the September 11 attacks, Lasky, who knew many New York City firefighters and was a close friend of chief Peter Ganci,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Plano Star-Courier |publisher=Star Community Papers |url=http://www.scntx.com/articles/2011/09/15/news_update/9623.txt |title=Plano Remembers the First Responders Killed in Terrorist Attacks |first=Bill |last=Conrad |date=2011-09-15 |access-date=2013-05-20 }}</ref> and the Lewisville Fire Department gained national attention when they raised over $200,000 for the families of New York City Firefighters. The fundraising effort caught the attention of John Travolta, who visited Lewisville as a favor to Lasky while promoting the film ''Ladder 49''.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=Firefighter Movie Hits its Target: Three Actors Visit Station to Promote Film Chief Calls 'Extremely Accurate' |last=Formby |first=Brandon |date=2004-09-19 |access-date=2013-05-19 |id=10537F810C0C4F90 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_text_direct-0=10537F810C0C4F90&p_field_direct-0=document_id |url-access=subscription |via=NewsBank}}</ref> In 2004, Lasky formed a bagpipe band and honor guard for the Lewisville Fire Department,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |title=Pipes are Calling to City Firefighters: Council Approves $31,000 For Honor Guard, Instruments |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?&p_text_direct-0=1059C24316507A8D&p_field_direct-0=document_id |date=2004-10-08 |access-date=2013-05-20 |last=Formby |first=Brandon |id=1059C24316507A8D |url-access=subscription |via=NewsBank}}</ref> and in 2008, the department began holding the Keeping Tradition Alive Symposium, which brings hundreds of members of various bagpipe bands and honor guards representing various firefighting units across the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/lewisville-flower-mound/headlines/20130429-bagpipers-drummers-to-gather-for-jam-session-in-lewisville.ece |title=Bagpipers, Drummers to Gather for Jam Session in Lewisville |last=Matocha |first=Nancy |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |date=2013-04-29 |access-date=2013-05-19 }}</ref> In 2011, Lasky was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Michael C. Burgess.<ref>{{USCongRec|2011|E1541|date=Wednesday, September 7, 2011}}</ref>
==Consultant== Lasky retired in 2011 after 11 years as chief of the Lewisville Fire Department,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Lewisville Leader |title=Chief Lasky to Retire in the Fall |last=Goodwin |first=Heather |url=http://www.scntx.com/articles/2011/05/28/lewisville_leader/news/47.txt |date=2011-05-27 |access-date=2013-05-19 }}</ref> and began consulting full-time with John Salka, who led the New York City Fire Department's 18th Battalion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fireengineering.com/blogs/blognetwork/national-firefighters-journal/2011/08/rick-lasky-s-retirement-celebration.html |title=Rick Lasky's Retirement Celebration |last=Halton |first=Bobby |work=FireEngineering.com |date=2011-08-31 |access-date=2013-05-19 }}</ref> They operate Five Alarm Leadership, LLC, which provides consulting aimed towards improving safety and efficiency in fire departments. He has authored a book, ''Pride & Ownership: A Firefighter's Love of the Job'', co-hosts a firefighting-themed podcast, ''Command Post'',<ref>{{cite podcast|url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fireengineeringtalkradio/2013/05/02/episode-518-command-post |title=Episode 518: Command Post |website=BlogTalkRadio |last1=Lasky |first1=Rick |last2=Salka |first2=John |date=2013-05-02 |accessdate=2013-05-20 }}</ref> and gives presentations and speeches at fire departments across the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/87600417.html |publisher=WSAW-TV |last=Spann |first=Margo |date=2010-03-13 |access-date=2013-05-20 |title=Firefighters and EMS Workers Gather in Marathon for Inspiration }}</ref>
==Works== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Lasky |first=Rick |title=Pride & Ownership: A Firefighter's Love of the Job |publisher=PennWell |date=2006-06-30 |isbn=978-1-59370-078-2 |location=Tulsa, Oklahoma |access-date=2013-03-01 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6aeEYfVzceYC |oclc=64896524 }} * {{cite book |last1=Lasky |first1=Rick |last2=Salka |first2=John |title=Five Alarm Leadership: From the Firehouse to the Fireground |publisher=PennWell |date=2013-03-31 |location=Tulsa, Oklahoma |isbn=978-1-59370-234-2 |oclc=819641586 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zR7xkQEACAAJ }} {{refend}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://twitter.com/chieflasky Website for ''Pride & Ownership'' ] * [https://twitter.com/chieflasky Twitter profile] * [https://www.facebook.com/chiefricklasky ''Pride & Ownership'' Facebook page]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lasky, Rick}} Category:American fire chiefs Category:Living people Category:People from Lewisville, Texas Category:People from La Grange, Illinois Category:People from Cook County, Illinois Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American firefighters