Christopher Barry

Photos by Gary Higgins

Firefighter, Quincy

Tell us about yourself.

“I try to represent the job and the city and the profession as a whole in the best light possible. I take that responsibility seriously.”

“Everything I’ve done in my life as an adult has been geared towards working in a career in public safety.”

“When you have a young person in the station who is hanging on your every word, it’s a really unique position to be in. We take the fact that we’re role models very seriously.”

“Probably the best thing I like about the job is that every day in a small way we get to interact with the public.”

THE SKINNY

RANK: Firefighter

AGE: 40

HIRED IN QUINCY: 1996

BIO: Barry grew up in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy. He graduated from Boston College High School and was one of the first graduates of the Quincy College fire science program. Barry worked as a call firefighter while he was in college and worked for a private ambulance company before joining Boston Emergency Medical Services. He got a bachelor’s degree in government with a focus on public administration from Suffolk University in 2000 while working as a firefighter. He lives on the South Shore with his wife of 13 years and their four children, 9-year-old twins, a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old. He represents the fire department on a couple of regional homeland security committees. He is also a member of the Box 52 Association, which promotes fire prevention in Boston and surrounding communities.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?A firefighter

What would you have been if not a firefighter? Still working at Boston EMS

Best advice you ever got:“Don’t ever be bigger than the job””

Person who gave it to you:A department chief

What do you do in your time off? Barry said he exercises regularly and coaches youth basketball and baseball in Hingham. He also said he spends a lot of time with his children.