By Ex-Chief Bob Pulick

After two years serving as the 33rd Chief of Department Mike Bennett has become the newest member of the Ex-Chiefs Club.  There are now seventeen living ex-chiefs, nine of which are still active.

When you become Chief you expect to be busy but no one is really prepared for all that is required and for the tremendous amount of time away from your family.  It is an extremely bittersweet moment when you vacate the chief’s office; you move from being extremely active and involved in most fire department endeavors to a new and different level of involvement.

As most ex-chiefs have found out, the phone will stop ringing during dinner, on holidays and at other awkward times.  But on the downside, day to day running of the department has been passed on and is no longer yours to control; something that had been a integral part of your life for the past two years. 

But you earned the title Chief and that will remain with you for life because the members of our Department will always hold you in high esteem.  A simple act of respect, continuing to call ex-chiefs “Chief”, has been noted many times by other departments and outsiders as well.  It is something that should make you proud, as it does all ex-chiefs.  It is something we all sincerely appreciate. 

So, CHIEF MIKE, the department extends to you their thanks for all you have done for us during the past two years.  And of course thank you Jessica and Jake.