The Continuing Service of Chris Boles
Sometimes the start of a career isn’t some grand plan. Sometimes it’s something much simpler.
For Commissioner Chris Boles, it started with a kids safety village, a station tour, and a few firefighters talking about their job.
That was all it took.
One visit. One conversation. One spark. The course of his life changed.
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The Firehouse Years
Boles began his career with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue during a time when the department — and its union — were in the middle of some defining years. It was during the era many remember from the days of hard union fights and long meetings at the kitchen table - before the PR and Marketing departments were really a thing.
He didn’t just clock in and out.
He got involved. Union Principle Member, Union Secretary then Treasurer, Executive Director for Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities.
During those following years he helped lead initiatives that strengthened the organization, helping grow the union’s assets substantially while also building traditions that firefighters and community families know today — most recently, the creation of Hillsborough County’s Family Fun Day.
It wasn’t just about contracts and negotiations. It was about community.
It was about the families behind the patches.
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When the Job Became Something Bigger
Like many in the fire service, some of the most defining moments came on days that history will never forget.
After the attacks on September 11 attacks, Boles was among the first sets of hands from Hillsborough County on the ground at the World Trade Center. Working alongside Captain Bobby McCabe, they helped one of their own, Brian Muldowney, who was there searching for his brother and crew(s) from Engine 16 & Ladder 7 with rescue efforts at Ground Zero.
Those moments leave a mark.
Not just on a career — but on a person.
And on the way they see service moving forward.
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“Everyone Knows FDNY… Why Not HCFR?”
Over the years Boles continued moving up through the ranks — eventually becoming a Battalion Chief — while also remaining deeply involved in the union.
His thinking was simple.
Everyone knows FDNY, Why not HCFR?
The goal wasn’t recognition for recognition’s sake. It was about building a department and union people believed in — one that represented professionalism, strength, and service both inside and outside the county.
That mindset made an impression.
Not just within the department, but well beyond it.
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A Six-Hour Decision
Because eventually the calls started coming. Local leaders and elected officials began encouraging him to take his experience somewhere else — to step into a different kind of service:
Public office.
When the moment finally came, he was given six hours to decide whether he would officially run for Hillsborough County Commissioner. Six hours to decide whether decades of experience in the fire service would move from the fireground… to the commission chamber.
He said yes.
Though not everyone saw him as a serious threat, during the race, one of his opponents said they weren’t worried about him — because he was
“just a firefighter.”
As if that meant he didn’t understand leadership.
As if decades of service meant less in a room full of politics.
But anyone who has spent time around the fire service knows better. Because firefighters are trained to lead when things are chaotic.
To make decisions when the pressure is high.
To look at a situation from every angle and protect the people standing behind them. That mindset didn’t stop when Chris left the station.. If anything, it followed him straight into office.
Today, Commissioner Boles serves the residents of Hillsborough County with that same perspective — one shaped by years of standing on the front lines of the community he now represents.
And it’s why he often reminds himself of something simple:
He was hired by the people.
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A Tactical Approach to Government
Firefighters are trained to look at a scene from every angle. To think through the problems others might miss. To see the full 360-degree picture.
Boles approaches county government the same way.
He describes his role as looking at issues from a tactical view — evaluating the impacts, anticipating the problems, and working through the details that often go unnoticed. It’s a perspective built from decades of problem-solving under pressure. And it shapes the way he serves today.
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Service That Doesn’t End With the Badge
The job of county commissioner comes with a different kind of schedule.
Meetings, Community events, Public forums. Long days that start early and end late. It can be fulfilling — and exhausting.
Behind it all is a strong and supportive wife, and kids who understands the kind of life that comes with public service.
But the events he enjoys most aren’t always the biggest ones, they’re the personal ones. Fridays in the Field with his office. Local gatherings.
Moments where he can step into the community and see where the work is actually making a difference..
When I stopped by his office recently, it was a normal workday.
What most people wouldn’t know is that earlier that morning he had just finished his 15th round of radiation therapy after being diagnosed with throat cancer — a diagnosis that has unfortunately become all too common in the fire service.
Firefighters face a significantly higher risk of cancer than the general population, a reality tied to years of exposure on the job.
But you wouldn’t know any of that by the way he carried himself.
Good spirits, Talking with staff, Moving through the day.
For some people, service doesn’t stop when the badge comes off. It doesn’t stop when the job changes. And sometimes, it doesn’t stop even when life throws a new kind of fight your way.
He was hired by the people, and he takes that seriously.
Service isn’t a title, it’s a responsibility.
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Bringing Government Back to the Community
That mindset was on full display this past week.
Commissioner Boles hosted a community town hall at a local fire station, bringing together multiple county entities — from public safety to water & waste management — so residents could come ask questions, voice concerns, or simply introduce themselves.
It wasn’t about speeches.
It was about listening.
Because for Boles, one of the biggest priorities in the county right now is public safety — and recognizing that real progress often requires confronting outdated policies, internal challenges, and the growing needs of a changing community.
The goal is simple:
Find the problems.
Work the problem.
Serve the people.
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Advice for the Next Generation
After decades in the fire service and now serving the community in a different role, Commissioner Boles still carries the same perspective that shaped his career.
When asked what advice he’d give to the next generation coming into the fire service, he didn’t hesitate.
“Few professions demand as much of you — physically, mentally, or emotionally — as the fire service does. Even fewer offer the same privilege of the chance to save lives. Stand steady in crisis — and always leave your community better than you found it.”
It’s a mindset that has guided his entire career — from the firehouse, to the union hall, and now to the commission chamber.
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Legacy Doesn’t Always Stay in the Firehouse
Some firefighters spend their careers in turnout gear. Others carry that experience somewhere else when the next chapter begins.
For Commissioner Chris Boles, the fire service didn’t end when he stepped out of the station.
It simply changed arenas.
From the fireground…
to the commission floor.
But the mindset that built his career remains the same.
Look at the whole scene.
Take care of the people.
And never forget who you serve.
They said he was “just a firefighter.”
But sometimes the people who run toward the fire are exactly the ones you want leading the room.
