Lieutenant Pierce Jacoway leads with heart, affects many
By Kristen West
Seeing people on their worst days is not a job for the faint of heart. It can be, however, a fulfilling challenge for those who face hardship with compassion, empathy and courage—those like Lieutenant Pierce Jacoway of South Metro Fire Rescue.
Jacoway knew he wanted to be a firefighter from a young age and credits his parents for instilling a compassionate leadership mindset. “My dad was on many committees, always helping with different things in the community and business. It becomes who you are,” he says. “In the fire service, it led me to want to improve or do better, and by doing that, I found myself unofficially assuming some of those leadership roles. It was just kind of a natural transition to lieutenant.”
As a lieutenant and safety officer at South Metro, Jacoway thrives on training and developing crews while creating a strong team environment. He also oversees incident safety during house or commercial fires, hazmat situations, dives, aircraft calls, tech calls and large-scale road accidents that require cutting people out of cars.
If that sounds intense, it’s because it is.
“Some of the calls are people on their absolute worst days,” Jacoway says. “They’ve lost their loved one, or they’ve experienced something traumatic. There are things that a lot of people probably should not see. But we understand what we signed up for; it’s part of our job.”
Jacoway says he’s grateful for the fire department team, which provides an unwavering support system for trauma associated with difficult calls. They also use therapy dogs and professional counseling when needed, and Jacoway has his own support team at home with his wife and two sons. “I don’t typically bring the bad calls home or talk about them with the boys, but I talk to my wife. She gets it. It’s always good to hear their voices and see them all when I come home from a shift,” he says.
Jacoway also manages to squeeze in a few hobbies like fishing, skiing and hunting, though he says most of his spare time is devoted to his sons’ busy sports schedules—a privilege he doesn’t take lightly. “Firefighting is challenging, but kids … it’s an ever-evolving world of emotion and battling amongst the smiles and laughter,” he says. “I want to see the best for them as they grow into young adults and hopefully have successful lives ahead of them.”
Although his career choice can take an emotional toll, Jacoway says that it’s easy to go to work when it’s something he loves to do, and he knows he will be making a difference in someone’s life.
One of those lives is a young lifeguard named Lizzy, who was flown to Craig Hospital from Huntington Beach after a traumatic spinal injury. Knowing that Lizzy and her family would feel overwhelmed being far from home, Jacoway wanted to ensure they felt loved and supported. His team met Lizzy at the Centennial Airport to escort her to the hospital. Then, he supported her family and a liaison from Huntington Beach with extra needs like a car and other resources during Lizzy’s time in rehabilitation.
The team even opened their literal doors to Lizzy, inviting her to the fire station for dinners. “We wanted to get her around like-minded people with that servant’s heart,” Jacoway says. Thankfully, Lizzy made it through rehab with family support alongside a second South Metro family. For Jacoway’s compassionate efforts beyond expectations, South Metro Fire Rescue awarded him the Distinguished Service Award. He has also received Firefighter of the Year for both Larkspur and South Metro and says that while he feels grateful for the recognition, he insists it’s a team effort.
“It’s truly about developing people around you to create a strong, cohesive team that supports each other and allows for a good outcome,” he says. “We take care of people and serve them like we would our family.”
