Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Every little boy wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. But Steve Sporleder grew up in a firefighting family. He never doubted for a minute that his wish would come true.
SFD Capt. Steve Sporleder to retire
By Kara Chalmers
If there's one thing the Saratoga Fire District's C shift firefighters can agree on, it is that their captain, 32-year district veteran Steve Sporleder, will be sorely missed. Sporleder, one of the SFD's three captains, will retire this month. His last day "on the engine" is Dec. 18.
While some firefighters mention how easy Sporleder is to get along with, others note his great sense of humor and his knowledge of the department and of Saratoga. One firefighter paramedic who has worked on Sporleder's shift over the past year, Chris Stuehler, 23, said Sporleder has taught him about being a compassionate human being. He said Sporleder is a role model, and someone the younger firefighters in the department go to for advice about life in general.
"He's kind of like the old wise man down here," Stuehler said. "If one of the guys needs advice on something, he always has a legitimate answer for questions. He's experienced everything."
Firefighter Todd Garde said he feels lucky to have worked on Sporleder's shift.
"Whoever's coming in has some big shoes to fill," Garde said.
Sporleder, a Los Gatos resident, comes from a firefighting family. Both his grandfather and father were firefighters in the Los Gatos Fire Department, before it became part of the Santa Clara County Fire Department. His brother, Douglas Sporleder, is the chief of the county fire department today and his other older brother, Bert Sporleder, was a volunteer firefighter with the Los Gatos department, as well.
Sporleder knew from the time he was very young, when he and his brothers would accompany his father to fight fires, that he would one day be doing it, too.
"This was it," he said of his choice of a career. And for him, it has been a rewarding one.
"It's a very worthwhile feeling, being able to, hopefully, make a bad situation better for them, for the citizens we protect," he said.
But, he added that for firefighters, there are downsides to the job.
"You see people at their most vulnerable, you see people injured, in pain, having devastating losses," Sporleder said. Still, he said the rewards outweigh the losses. For all the traumatic times, there are just as many instances when a person can go back into his or her home or when a loved one can return from the hospital, he said.
Also for Sporleder, the atmosphere he has perceived in the district over the past few years has made it easier for him to leave, although he said he will miss his work as a captain and the seven firefighters he oversees on his shift. Although Sporleder has taken pains to keep arm's distance from the current dispute between the union firefighters and the administration, he did say that he believes the SFD administration--the fire chief and the board of fire commissioners--does not listen to the firefighters, or take them seriously, enough.
"Instead of working together, it appears there's too often a 'them' and an 'us,' " Sporleder said, referring to the administration and the firefighters.
He said that it often appears that the administrators' minds are made up about things before consulting with firefighters.
"Committees are formed, but they appear to be in theory only," Sporleder said. He also said he thinks there are many SFD firefighters who are qualified to be the next captain and he hopes that the administration looks within the department for his replacement.
Sporleder, a member of the firefighters' union, said he does not always agree with the politics of either the administration or the union, which is currently pushing for a merger of the SFD with the county fire department for services.
"I've been a very loyal member of the SFD for over 30 years," he said. "But my obligation is to the public and what is best for the public."
The politics and the somewhat tense atmosphere at the SFD have nothing to do with Sporleder's decision to leave the SFD, he said.
At 53, Sporleder said he is physically ready to stop fighting fires. In the fire business, the common retirement age is 50, due to the physical and emotional strain associated with the job.
Showing his trademark sense of humor, Sporleder remarked that while retirement might mean more time with his son and daughter, both grown, and more time to play golf, he won't be able to relax long.
"I can only play golf so much, although I need a lot of work at it," he said.
Sporleder said he thinks he would have made a good assistant chief, a position the SFD recently decided to create since the department is growing. But unfortunately, the district is testing for the position after Sporleder's retirement date. Putting off his retirement is not an option, Sporleder said.
Sporleder does have one plan after Dec. 18. He has written a novel, which he hopes to publish, and he is in the process of writing other books.
The novel is about a disabled firefighter, who returns to his hometown after the death of his father, from whom the firefighter had been estranged. The book is not autobiographical, Sporleder stressed, but deals with some issues that people his age--babyboomers--face, such as aging and the death of a parent.
For Sporleder, who is a big reader of both fiction and nonfiction, writing has become a hobby he loves. He said he even cried upon finishing his novel, A Fouled Nest, which he had worked on for five years.
Until the district hires Sporleder's permanent replacement, firefighter engineer Bill Seagraves will be the C shift's interim captain. Seagraves and Sporleder have worked together for more than 15 years and Seagraves said they have shared many good times.
"He's done a real good job as captain over the years," Seagraves said.
SFD Chief Ernie Kraule agrees. Kraule said Sporleder would be difficult to replace because of his loyalty to the department, his easy manner of working with his shift, his experience and his accomplishments.
"He is an accomplished firefighter and an accomplished administrator," Kraule said. "Steve has been a major part of the department as it has grown. This will be a personal loss for me."
Saratoga, California Since 1955
