As I think about it, I can name four people that influenced my decision to join the fire department. When I was in high school, I lived across the street from two guys that were on the department. Robin Smith retired with 16 years of service, and Ron Smith now retired with 25 years of service. I remember them leaving home for a call, day and night, with a blue light on their dash. 

After high school, I moved to Wichita, Kansas. Got married to Sheila and had our first child. While in Wichita, I volunteered for the Sedgwick County Sherriff’s dept—working patrol, corrections, large events, etc.

We moved back to Rome after four years. We lived in an apartment in the old Rome East School. This was across the street from Fire House #4, so the Fire Department seemed like a good fit. I filled out an application to join the fire department, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thirty-six years later, I still respond anytime, day or night, to volunteer and serve the community at the fire department. I am proud to say that each of my three children (Joel, Stephanie, and Miles) served on the fire department. My wife, Sheila, also has 36 years of service. Thirty-six years of missed dates, birthdays, Holidays, and interrupted sleep when the pager goes off. The fire service is and will always be a family affair.

Thank you all for your sacrifice to make Chillicothe a safer place to live. During my time on the department, I have had the pleasure of serving beside over 260 fellow firefighters, men and women, with over 2200 years of service. Some with 30, 40, and even 50 years of service. They leave for all reasons: school, military, career departments, family, work, and health, to name a few.

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned four people who influenced my decision to join. The last two were my mother, Alice, and my father, Bob. Growing up, there wasn’t an event we kids were in that Mom and Dad didn’t volunteer in some way. The list goes on and on—baseball, scouting, softball, or counting coupons for Rome School Mothers Club. They instilled in me early on that people need to volunteer to improve our world and communities. It’s getting harder and harder to find people willing to volunteer for Little League, football, scouting, and the fire dept, to name a few. The fire service has changed a lot in 36 years. From pull-up boots and long rubber coats to bunker gear that is upwards of $4000 per person. From riding on the tailboard with a rope around your waist to fully enclosed cabs with seat belt warning systems. Available manpower has changed as well. From over 70 volunteers when I joined to about half that now. Please help if you can.