Conversation with with Julius Halas

Before former Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Julius Halas, 61, left the town to become director of the Florida Division of State Fire Marshal’s Office in 2009, he gave the Longboat Observer his personal cellphone number and said to call any time. 

Tallahassee hasn’t changed him: Six years later, he answered that number on the third ring when we called to set up an interview. 

“I’m proud of the fact that I still have friends and colleagues to this day who tell me they are surprised I take their call and that I haven’t changed one bit,” Halas said. “I have an open-door policy. If you call me, I’ll get back to you in 24 hours.”

Halas served as Longboat’s fire chief from 1999 to 2009. He previously served as the fire chief for the city of Sarasota from 1992 to 1996, and after the city’s consolidation with Sarasota County Fire Rescue he served as deputy fire chief before becoming Longboat Key’s fire chief.

Halas returned to the area where he grew up and worked for 34 of his 40 years of fire service to  speak at the 13th Longboat Key Disaster Preparedness Seminar. He caught up with colleagues and visited the area where he will eventually retire.

Q: What do you do as the director of the Florida Division of State Fire Marshal’s Office Department of Financial Services Office? 

A: I oversee 240 employees, half of whom are in law enforcement for fire and arson investigations statewide. ... Our arrest record is very high, and we consistently beat the national average for criminal prosecution here in Florida for arson. We also handle fire prevention for the state, including 13,000 state buildings that include the state’s universities. Training is also a big part of what we do. We watch over firefighter safety statewide. We also investigate firefighter injuries and deaths.

Q: What’s one aspect of your job that nobody knows about?

A: I used to run into burning buildings, and now I’m not even the official fire marshal for the state. What’s different about my job is the state-elected chief financial officer  (currently Jeff Atwater) is actually the fire marshal and I’m here to help him do his job and lead effectively. Any elected chief financial officer can bring in his or her own team and own director at any time.

Q: How big of a learning curve did you face when you left Longboat Key?

A: The first year was tough. But then I started to realize being a lieutenant and a chief is just a smaller model of what I do now.  

Q: How did your career in the Sarasota-Bradenton area prepare you for Tallahassee?

A: I moved up through the ranks of lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, deputy chief and chief right where I grew up.  It’s really rewarding. 

Where I worked locally gave me the preparation I needed for my current position. Becoming the president of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association while I was fire chief at Longboat also gave me statewide knowledge and contacts that helped, as well. 

Q: What are you most proud of since you took on your new role?

A: All four of our bureaus are all accredited. They weren’t all accredited when I  got here. I helped put in place a lot of safeguards and competency to make sure we meet and exceed the national standards.  

Q: What’s your average day like?

A: The legislative season is chaos — meetings all the time with fire associations. When it’s not legislative season, I basically do what I used to do on Longboat Key times 10. It’s a lot of delegation. ... I do 35 to 40 public speaking  engagements and keynote addresses per year. I travel thousands of miles a year. 

Q: How did the town convince you to come back for this event?

A: I can’t say no to the town. It’s home. I actually couldn’t make it last year and felt bad about that. 

Q: Do you miss Longboat Key?

A: Yes. I live in Tallahassee, and it’s a beautiful place to live and work with trees and hills. But I have never sold my home in Mill Creek (East Manatee). That’s home. I’m a beach guy. I have my sights set on retirement there one day. I also have a son and two grandchildren there. But I’m not there yet. What I’m doing now is a great way to put the icing on the cake of my career.