CINCINNATI — Almost 30 years ago, two firefighters met at the Cincinnati Fire Academy. Now, thanks to recent promotions, they’re at the top of the department together.
In 1999, John Davis Jr. and Craig Coburn met for the first time.
“January 10, 1999. We were in the drill yard for the first time,” Davis said. “For me, I was terrified, and his (Coburn) demeanor that he has now is what he’s pretty much always at. Cool, calm, and collected.”
Davis was brand new to firefighting, while Coburn was coming in from a smaller department and trying to land a job in his home city.
They, along with their fellow class recruits, supported each other through the fire academy and ever since.
WATCH: How Davis and Coburn climbed the department ladder together from rookie to assistant chief
“We’ve had a great relationship our entire careers. We didn’t always work together; we worked different districts, different houses, different assignments,” Coburn said. “We call each other classmates when we see each other.”
And as the years went by, they were both promoted a number of times.
“Every rank that we went through, it's always a congratulations. Whether it’s a phone call or it’s a text. 'Hey, proud of you, classmate, proud of you, classmate,” Davis said.
Now, almost exactly 27 years later, both Davis and Coburn have been promoted to assistant chiefs in command, the second-highest rank in the entire department. Davis was promoted to assistant chief of the Cincinnati Fire Administration Bureau, and Coburn is now assistant chief of the Cincinnati Fire Operations Division.
“I texted him, I don’t know what day it was, but I was like, did you ever think 27 years ago this is where we could end up? We both just said nope,” Coburn said.
“I was excited that I got it, but I was really excited to see him. It was just a breath of fresh air for us,” Davis said.
Davis and Coburn’s new positions will allow them to work together more often than before. Both with the goal of making the city and the fire department better.
“We’re both here for all the people, our people, and the community,” Coburn said.
