Rising through the ranks: Public safety program prepares students to lead
By Pete Rosenbery
CARBONDALE, Ill. — When it came to continuing his fire service education and work toward a master’s degree in public safety and homeland security administration, Fabio Puccini knew where he wanted to go.
With a bachelor’s degree in fire service management from SIU Carbondale in 2008 already in place, Puccini used the university’s Extended Campus program through Joliet Junior College to advance his education and career. Starting the PSHSA master’s program in January 2020, Puccini, a battalion chief with the Schaumburg Fire Department in suburban Chicago, earned that degree in May 2021. In August 2022, Puccini was promoted deputy chief of operations, where he oversees a department of 120 line personnel and five civilian employees.
Puccini said he’s excited for the opportunity. He also notes that he was the only candidate with a master’s degree. Earning his undergraduate degree from SIU informed his decision, but there were other reasons.
“The schedule was inviting to a working firefighter, and unlike other nontraditional programs, the curriculum focused on my area of interest and expertise,” he said. “The accessibility of reaching instructors was also paramount.”
Puccini’s story is one Lindsay M. Laycoax, the lead site coordinator for both the undergraduate and graduate program within the School of Justice and Public Safety, is familiar with. The master’s program, which is available online and at Joliet Junior College, has 58 students, most of whom are within the continental United States.
Since the master’s program began in 2013, 138 students have earned degrees and students within the program and its graduates are the biggest salespeople, said Laycoax, a former firefighter and fire chief.
The 30-hour master’s program can be completed in three semesters. Approximately 78% of SIU PSHSA graduates are in an administrative leadership position in their respected public safety field, he said.
“Often times, they go from undergraduates to graduate students. They understand the need,” Laycoax said, noting education and testing requirements for emergency personnel have increased through the years.
Puccini’s current duties include overseeing the department’s daily operations, long-term goals, budget formulation, personnel issues and labor-management relationships. He’s also tasked with the responsibility to respond to larger scale incidents, not only within Schaumburg, but other surrounding communities as needed.
A 1990 graduate of West Leyden High School where he was in the top 10% of his class and a National Honor Society member, Puccini, already interested in becoming a paramedic, initially started as an electrical engineering major at University of Illinois Chicago but quickly lost interest. He started EMT classes at Triton College and then riding with the Leyden Fire Protection District “and it didn’t take long for me to realize this was my calling,” he said.
Puccini started as a part-time firefighter and was certified as a paramedic when 20. He also spent time with the Franklin Park Fire Department and the city of Park Ridge Fire Department before accepting a position with the Schaumburg Fire Department in 2002. While he was the first in the family to join the fire service, Puccini said his sons have both found jobs with fire departments.
Laycoax said Puccini’s drive in wanting to be successful was key, noting he rose through the ranks to be a captain, then battalion chief and now deputy chief.
“It’s not about anybody else but you are doing it for yourself,” Laycoax said. “Fabio was an excellent student, but he had his mind set on being a chief. He knew what he wanted.”