From Fire Captain to AI Security Engineer: Why I'm Making the Leap

The Decision

After more than 20 years running toward danger as a firefighter and fire captain, I’m making a transition that might seem unusual: I’m pursuing a career in AI security engineering. But the more I think about it, the more natural this shift feels.

Why Now?

I’ve spent two decades in the fire service—progressing from firefighter to hazmat technician to training instructor to captain. It’s been an incredible career serving my community, and I’m proud of the work we do. But as I approach pension eligibility, I’m thinking about what comes next.

I don’t want to just retire. I want to tackle new challenges that are intellectually stimulating and make a meaningful impact. That’s where AI security comes in.

Why AI Security?

The parallels between firefighting and AI security are stronger than you might think:

Risk Assessment — As a hazmat technician for 15+ years, I’ve learned to think in terms of failure modes, cascading effects, and defensive layers. That’s exactly how you need to approach AI security: What could go wrong? What are the attack vectors? How do we build defense in depth?

High-Stakes Decision Making — In emergency response, you make critical decisions with incomplete information under time pressure. AI security involves similar challenges—detecting threats, responding to incidents, and making judgment calls when you can’t see the full picture.

Understanding the Domain — Here’s my secret weapon: I know the fire service inside and out. I understand the systems we use (CAD platforms, ePCR software, incident databases) and where vulnerabilities could impact operations. As fire departments adopt AI for dispatch optimization, predictive analytics, and training, they need people who understand both the technology AND the operational realities.

What I’m Learning

I’m currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence with a focus on security and cybersecurity. I’m diving into:

• AI fundamentals
• Adversarial machine learning (how AI systems can be attacked)
• Secure AI deployment
• Cybersecurity principles
• Threat modeling and risk assessment

The learning curve is steep, but I’m energized by it. Every concept I master feels like adding another tool to my belt—similar to learning new techniques in technical rescue or hazmat response.

What This Blog Is For

I’m starting this blog for a few reasons:

1. Document my journey — Writing helps me process what I’m learning and track my progress
2. Build in public — Sharing my projects and insights helps me get feedback and connect with others in the field
3. Bridge two worlds — I want to explore how emergency services experience can inform AI security thinking, and vice versa

What’s Next

I’m currently working through foundational coursework and starting to identify specific project areas where I can apply what I’m learning to real fire service challenges. Expect future posts about:

• Specific AI security concepts and how they relate to emergency services
• Projects I’m building
• Lessons learned (both successes and failures)
• Resources that are helping me make this transition

If you’re interested in AI security, career transitions, or the intersection of public safety and technology, I’d love to have you follow along.

Let’s Connect

Have questions? Made a similar career change? Working in AI security or fire service technology? I’d love to hear from you.

Reach out via GitHub or email me at jacklexidrew@gmail.com.

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Next post: I’ll dive into my first AI security project and what I learned building it.