A day in the life: Behind the scenes with Cape Coral’s fire chief

CAPE CORAL - Most people only see the fire department when sirens are blaring and crews are racing to an emergency, but long before a call comes in, there is planning, training and leadership happening behind the scenes.

WINK News spent a full day with Cape Coral Fire Chief Michael Russell to see what it takes to run a department responsible for protecting one of Florida’s fastest-growing cities. 

Russell said his connection to Cape Coral goes beyond the job. His family lives in the city, his children attend local schools and his wife works in the local health system.

“My family lives here. My kids go to school in Cape Coral,” Russell said. “Being part of the community is important because it shows how much we care about the success of the community.”

In 2025, the Cape Coral Fire Department responded to almost 30,000 calls. 

From early morning meetings to firefighter training and a late afternoon city council meeting, Russell’s day offered a look at the work that happens before emergencies ever occur.

Russell’s workday began at 7 a.m. at fire headquarters on SE 9th Ave. Like most mornings, he started by checking emails and preparing presentations before his first meeting at 8:30.

"The most important part of that for me might be how I wake up, right?," Russell said. "Like, I wake up eager to accomplish the mission and the goals of the fire department."

No two days look the same for the fire chief. On this particular day, Russell attended multiple meetings focused on improving department operations — including ISO improvement planning, command staff updates and accreditation work — before heading to a city council meeting later in the afternoon.

Russell oversees a department of 316 members, and he says meeting their diverse needs is one of the most challenging parts of the job.

“The toughest part might be the variety of needs that we have,” Russell said. “We have 316 members in the department, and they all have unique perspectives and unique needs. It's my job to try to fulfill those needs and try to provide them with a system with all the things that they need to do their job, whether they work in logistics or prevention or professional standards, or, obviously, operations on a fire truck."

The Cape Coral Fire Department responds to roughly 81 calls per day across the city’s 140 square miles and more than 240,000 residents. Russell says about 60% of those calls are medical emergencies, with others including car crashes, brush fires, public assistance calls and marine emergencies.

Still, Russell says emergency calls are only part of what firefighters do.

"People, I don't think, understand the depth and the breadth of what the department does on a daily basis," Russell said. "It's not just the average 81 emergency 911 calls that happen every day. There's so much more around the department that has to happen."

After a quick lunch break and an impromptu meeting, Russell drove to the department’s training center to recognize Battalion Chief Eric Hawkins 25 years of service. The department has 34 veterans. 

While at the training center, the newest class of recruits were hard at work. The recruits are among the first to train in the department’s new facility and say the experience has exceeded expectations.

“You can tell they really care about the craft,” one trainee said towards the department. "Every day, they're giving their 100% and that's it's very infectious. I guess you would say it makes us want to go even harder."

Many of the recruits said they chose Cape Coral because of the department’s growth and opportunities, while others said they wanted to give back to the community where many of them grew up.

Trainees emphasized the intense preparation required before they ever respond to their first call.

"There's a lot of preparation that goes into everything," another recruit said. "A lot of details that some like go unseen, but especially like getting into a department like this, everything has been detail oriented, and it's making sure that everything is lined up before something goes wrong, not when something goes wrong."

Russell reinforced that message during a brief pep talk to the class.

“The work you put in here pays dividends out there when time matters — when people’s lives matter,” Russell told the recruits.

Russell said visiting the training center was the highlight of his day, particularly seeing experienced firefighters alongside new recruits.

“One of those guys could be the fire chief one day,” Russell said. "It's definitely two ends of the spectrum there, which is exciting, all in one place together."

As Cape Coral continues to grow, Russell says planning for the future is a major part of his job. The department maintains long-term plans that include strategic initiatives, personnel growth and future fire station locations.

“It’s important for us to look at where the city is now, where it’s going to be in five years, where it’s going to be in 10 years, and what resources and personnel do we need to be able to meet the demands of the city,” Russell said.

Chief Russell explained he hopes to add two new fire stations in the near future. The department has 13 right now.

After returning to headquarters for more meetings, Russell ended his day at a Cape Coral City Council meeting, something he attends regularly to stay informed and address residents’ needs when necessary.

Russell said the long days and work is demanding, but he remains motivated by the impact the department has on the community.

“There’s a part about being part of something bigger than yourself,” Russell said. “There’s a lot of different parts that make me proud to be part of the department and proud to obviously be their fire chief.”

For Russell, leading the fire department isn’t a typical nine-to-five job. Some days end early, others run late into the evening — but every day is focused on the same mission: making sure firefighters are ready to save lives when the next call comes in.