200. Seattle Firefighter Said NO and He Was Fired | 3 Years Later the Legal Battle Continues

David "Davy" Dahlin

In episode 200 of the Transition Drill Podcast, Davy Dahlin’s conversation traces the full arc of a life shaped by service, sacrifice, and principle. Raised in a working-class household near Seattle, Dahlin was no stranger to responsibility from an early age. His youth was spent learning trades from his father, preparing him for a future built on resilience and grit. Though he initially pursued a college degree in vehicle design and held jobs in engineering and mechanics, his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter never faded. He eventually joined the Seattle Fire Department, where he served with distinction for nearly 22 years. Dahlin reflected on the physical and emotional demands of the job, the culture of the fire service, and the pride he took in working alongside some of the most capable first responders in the country. His career came to an abrupt end when he refused to comply with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, a choice that led to his termination and sparked ongoing legal action. Today, Dahlin continues to stand by his convictions while building a new chapter of life after service. His story is a powerful example of personal integrity, professional commitment, and the complex challenges that often accompany public service careers.

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Davy Dahlin’s story begins in the Pacific Northwest, where he was born in Bellevue, Washington, before his family settled in the smaller town of Issaquah. At the time, Issaquah was a sleepy community with just one four-way stop, far removed from the tech-saturated, bustling suburb it is today. Raised in a conservative Christian household, Dahlin came from a small family—just his parents and a younger sister who would go on to find her own path in Seattle’s tech industry.

His childhood was defined by labor, responsibility, and early exposure to hands-on work. Dahlin’s father ran a small remodeling and restoration business, and Davy became his only employee. From the age of five, he was on job sites, sweeping floors and eventually learning skilled trades like tile setting, pipe sweating, and framing walls. By age 12, he was competent enough to manage components of the job independently. His early immersion into construction would later prove invaluable when circumstances forced him into unexpected transitions.

Despite the workload, Dahlin’s academic aptitude was clear. He was placed in school early after excelling in cognitive testing, and he continued to perform well academically. That early placement meant he was 16 during the start of his senior year of high school, two years younger than many of his football teammates. Though academics were never a struggle, Dahlin’s social life was a different story. He described himself as socially awkward, largely due to spending his after-school hours and weekends working alongside his father rather than building friendships. High school was, in his words, “horribly unpleasant.”

College offered a fresh start. Dahlin attended Western Washington University, where he studied vehicle research and design. The program was highly competitive—rated among the best in the world—and he found intellectual satisfaction there. Outside the classroom, he found a late-blooming passion for hockey. Though he didn’t put on skates until college, within two years he earned a place on the college team. He wasn’t a star player, but he took pride in his grit and teamwork fighting for pucks in corners, digging out assists, and prioritizing the team’s success over personal stats. In many ways, this attitude foreshadowed his future as a first responder.

Sports aside, his time at college was shaped by personal and familial tension. Dahlin’s home life had been marked by what he called an “integrity gap” with his father. While he was often promised payment for his labor in the family business, those promises went unfulfilled. Dahlin was told his college would be paid for, only to end up responsible for the majority of it himself. These early disappointments planted seeds of self-reliance and skepticism, but they also taught him accountability and resilience, key ingredients in any successful career change.

After graduating, Dahlin briefly worked in contracting but left the role when his father suffered a traumatic injury. In a moment that reflected the values common to many in fire and EMS careers, Dahlin put his life on hold to return and keep his father’s RV repair business afloat. He evaluated pending jobs, managed remaining clients, and laid off employees with dignity and transparency. When his father awoke from a medically induced coma, blinded and unable to continue the business, Davy found himself the target of a lawsuit—from his own father. Though the lawsuit was unsuccessful, the damage to their relationship was permanent.

That experience, at just 22 years old, would become a proving ground for future adversity. It tested Dahlin’s character, forced him to navigate the legal system, and eventually set him on a path that aligned with the qualities that define so many firefighters: grit, resilience, and an unwavering sense of responsibility. Though his life had already taken several difficult turns, the idea of becoming a first responder still lingered in the background, waiting to resurface at just the right moment.

For Davy Dahlin, the dream of becoming a firefighter never faded. It had taken root early, long before adulthood began shaping the world with its demands. Even as he studied engineering in college and stepped into roles in project management and auto mechanics, the desire to serve in the fire service stayed with him. He joked that he simply never outgrew wanting to drive the big red truck, but the truth ran deeper. He admired the mission, the teamwork, and the way firefighters were received by the public — often as helpers who brought relief rather than consequence.

After several years of navigating other industries, including a short tenure with Boeing and a brief period working in his father’s RV repair business, Dahlin finally committed to pursuing a career as a firefighter. By this time, he was clear on one thing, it was time to live for his own goals and not for the expectations of others. That clarity sparked what would become a three-year journey of persistence and patience.

From 1997 to 1999, Dahlin cast a wide net, applying to nearly every fire department in Washington that would accept his application. He tested with around a dozen agencies, each time facing written exams, physical tests, and panel interviews. The application process for fire service jobs was highly competitive. In some cases, thousands of candidates competed for just a handful of positions. Still, Dahlin’s academic strengths and physical preparation gave him an edge.

Seattle Fire Department was not his top choice initially. He had his eye on departments like Everett and Bellevue, smaller agencies known for their family-like cultures and strong community support. Everett, in particular, had a mayor who was actively investing in first responders, and morale within that department was high. But Seattle tested earlier in the year, and when the offer came, Dahlin seized the opportunity. In retrospect, it would prove to be a pivotal decision.

Seattle Fire was one of the few departments large enough to run its own academy. That meant Dahlin did not have to attend a third-party fire academy like many recruits from smaller towns. Instead, he would be trained entirely by Seattle’s instructors and would be molded to meet their standards and protocols. This included rigorous EMT training, a strong emphasis on physical performance, and detailed knowledge of truck operations, rescue techniques, and urban firefighting tactics.

The academy, led at the time by a former Marine, operated with strict discipline and a paramilitary tone. For Dahlin, who entered the program at 205 pounds and in peak physical shape, the physical demands were not the greatest challenge. The intensity and structure of the academy, however, tested his mental focus and his ability to maintain discipline outside of work hours. Unlike military boot camps where housing, meals, and routines are provided, recruits in Seattle’s academy had to juggle home responsibilities with nightly study, food prep, and rest, all while reporting back to training each morning ready to perform.

Among Dahlin’s classmates was a former Green Beret who remarked to him privately that the fire academy had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. That comment, coming from someone with elite military training, underscored just how serious the Seattle Fire Department was about developing top-tier firefighters.

While the culture was tough, Dahlin adapted well. He found himself excelling at stair climbs, earning playful complaints from classmates who could not keep up. Fitness was a core value for him. He treated the gym like church and structured his training around upcoming tests, adjusting his workouts to prepare for specific physical challenges. His approach reflected the mindset shared by many successful first responders, always preparing, always evolving.

Though his original dream was to be a firefighter, Dahlin had no illusions about what the job involved. He knew the fire service was not glamorous. It was exhausting, dangerous, and required full commitment. But he was ready to trade comfort for purpose. This career change would be the start of something far more meaningful than just a paycheck. It was the beginning of a life rooted in service.

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Davy Dahlin’s fire career with the Seattle Fire Department officially began at the end of the 1990s. What followed was nearly 22 years of service as a firefighter and first responder. Throughout that time, Dahlin found himself fully immersed in the culture, demands, and evolution of a major metropolitan fire department. He carried out his duties with grit and discipline, carving out a reputation as someone committed to readiness, performance, and integrity.

Seattle Fire was a department rich with specialized opportunities. While many departments operated with limited capabilities, Seattle had technical rescue teams, hazmat operations, and maritime response capabilities. The department was large enough to offer its own training academy, EMS program, and dive school, which made it one of the more advanced operations in the region. Though Dahlin never pursued the path of becoming a paramedic, he held tremendous respect for the Medic One program. The medics trained in Seattle were among the best in the world and were expected to maintain their fire certifications while serving in dedicated EMS roles. The level of performance expected in both fire suppression and EMS service was high, and that environment was where Dahlin thrived.

Dahlin's early ambition had been to drive Ladder 5, a rig stationed in Seattle's Northgate district. It was a large coverage area that stretched from Puget Sound to Lake Washington and covered some of the busiest zones in the city. Although he eventually worked in that district, he came to admire Rescue 1, formerly known as Ladder 7, a team known across the country for their technical excellence. That group had earned national recognition for being among the first to arrive in New York City following the 9/11 attacks, entering the rubble in the search for survivors. Dahlin respected their skill and legacy, even calling them “awesome” and holding deep admiration for the work they did. While he never served with that crew, he cherished the opportunity to learn from members of that unit when they rotated through other houses.

Despite the opportunity to pursue elite roles within the fire service, Dahlin chose to remain a traditional firefighter. His decision was not based on a lack of ambition, but on a deep desire to stay in the trenches, on the rig, in the action, and with the crew. For him, the firehouse was more than a workplace. It was a brotherhood built on shared sacrifice, unspoken trust, and constant vigilance.

As with many departments, Seattle Fire had its internal dynamics. Some members viewed Rescue 1 as overhyped or elite, occasionally throwing out terms like “primadonnas” under their breath. But Dahlin always saw it differently. He believed every firefighter had the opportunity to test, train, and earn their place on specialty teams. He respected anyone who made that commitment and saw them not as rivals, but as fellow warriors in the same mission.

The physical demands of the job were unrelenting. Throughout his career, Dahlin experienced numerous injuries and underwent 15 surgeries related to his service. Despite these setbacks, he continued to train as if each shift could demand the absolute most from him. He advocated for mandatory physical fitness standards and pushed leadership to consider implementing annual assessments. He understood firsthand how a firefighter's readiness could mean the difference between life and death.

Then came the storm. As COVID-19 spread across the globe, the fire service, like many first responder communities, was forced to adapt rapidly. In the early days of the pandemic, Seattle was one of the hardest-hit cities. The department had to adjust operations to protect crews and civilians alike. Training, staffing, and station life all changed.

The most divisive shift came later, when the City of Seattle mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for all city employees. What had once been a united department began to fracture. The vaccine requirement drew a line in the sand for many who had spent their careers putting others first. For Dahlin, it became a defining moment, one that would soon bring his career in the fire service to an abrupt and painful end.

When the City of Seattle issued its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, Davy Dahlin faced the most difficult decision of his career. After nearly 22 years of dedicated service as a firefighter, he chose to stand by his personal convictions and declined the vaccine. It was not a decision made lightly. Dahlin weighed the mandate against his deeply held beliefs, medical concerns, and sense of bodily autonomy. In the end, he believed he could not comply in good conscience.

The fallout was swift. Despite a career marked by physical sacrifice, unblemished service, and full commitment to the citizens of Seattle, Dahlin was terminated from his position. He was not alone. Several of his fellow firefighters and first responders were also let go for refusing the vaccine. These men and women had served on the front lines throughout the earliest and most uncertain stages of the pandemic, often responding without full protective gear and before the virus was fully understood. Many felt betrayed that their dedication was now being disregarded.

Dahlin's termination marked a sudden and painful exit from the career that had shaped his identity. There was no retirement celebration, no time to plan for what would come next. For a firefighter who had dedicated over two decades to protecting lives and property, it was a jarring career change that felt more like exile than transition.

But Dahlin did not walk away quietly. Alongside others who were dismissed, he became part of an ongoing lawsuit against the City of Seattle. The legal effort challenges the manner in which the terminations were handled and the policies that led to them. For Dahlin, the fight is not just about personal justice. It is about ensuring that future firefighters and public servants are not discarded for making decisions based on personal health and ethical concerns.

In the time since his departure from the fire service, Dahlin has remained active and focused on building a life after service. Drawing from the skills and discipline forged in firehouses and on emergency scenes, he has shifted his attention toward supporting others in their own journeys. Whether that comes through physical training, mentorship, or advocacy, he remains committed to service — even if the uniform has changed.

Dahlin’s story is one of conviction, cost, and courage. He did not follow the easier path. His refusal to compromise on what he believed was right resulted in the loss of a career he loved. Yet he continues to push forward, using his voice to speak out on behalf of those who served without hesitation and were forced to walk away without recognition.

In a world where career transitions for first responders often come with uncertainty, Dahlin’s story is both a cautionary tale and a testament to resilience. Life after service may not look like what he imagined, but his mission to serve continues, just under a different banner.

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