Construction engineering technologist FIRED UP BY CAREER PIVOT ASET member Gary Mayorchak, C.E.T., likely never imagined his pursuit of a career in the construction industry would spark his interest in the fire service and set him in a completely different direction. BY MICHELE PENZ IT'S AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS for Mayorchak who graduated from NAIT's building construction engineering technology (BCET) program in 1982 and seemed predestined for his former field of choice. A number of his family members were in the construction trades and he spent weekends and summers working with his father as a carpenter's assistant. Growing up, he was frequently called on to assist in building structures with relatives on the farm and, on his own time, produced go-karts and tree forts. However, the depressed economy he entered in the early 1980s made it tough to hammer out a living in construction. Opportunities were sorely lacking so he sought employment in the trades, attaining a journeyman's steel fabricators certificate to give him momentum in the job market. Then, he faced another impediment: a sports injury and subsequent surgery. This forced him into a temporary administrative position where he was tasked with developing emergency evacuation procedures and dangerous goods identification for a national company. The setback was truly a case of one door closing and another blasting open as if from a benign backdraught. His new role stoked his initial interest in fire inspection and fire investigations. Soon afterwards, a fire inspector position was posted and he landed the job. That further enkindled his passion for the fire service and lay the groundwork for an exciting series of career activities. 38 | FALL 2021 | TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA