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VIENNA -- The Vienna Township fire Chief Richard Brannon announced his retirement Monday night amongst family and colleagues.
His last day will be March 31.
"I just want to thank everybody here for their support," he said. "I got a good group of people working here. We all operate great. I'm thankful to everyone for all the well wishes I got and I hope to see them around."
He said he served as fire chief for over 28 years.
"I joined in 1978 and in 1995 I was appointed fire chief," Brannon said. "I've been a member of Vienna (Fire Department) for most of my career. After I became chief, we started a part-time EMS (emergency medical services) program and it just escalated from there."
Before his promotion to chief, he served as a fire and EMS volunteer. He said before 1997 the fire department was volunteer only, then it became part-time.
While volunteering and working part-time at the fire department, he said he worked full-time at Copper World Steel and then at Cardinal Health after the closing of Copper World Steel.
Brannon said he decided to retire so he can "do stuff he wants to do."
"I'm 70 years old," he said. "It's been a great job but I think it's time to let someone come in and take over what I've been doing. It's been a long run and I'm ready to go home."
Even though he is retiring as chief, he said he would like to continue volunteering at the fire department until October.
Brannon said he hopes the others will "continue on (doing) what they do best at, protecting lives and property and helping the people any way they can."
Mark Haddle has been a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Vienna Township Fire Department for 10 years. He said he has "mixed feelings" about Brannon's retirement.
"He's an amazing chief (and a) great mentor," Haddle said. "I hate to see him go but he also deserves it. He's been the chief for 28 years and a member for 45."
A social media post on the fire department's Facebook states Brannon served the community, "with dignity, bravery, compassion and unmatched loyalty."
It continued, "Chief, your courage and selflessness have inspired us all. Our gratitude cannot be truly expressed in words
but we will attempt to show it in all we have learned from your example. Thank you! You have the respect of an entire community."