After 33 years of service, the fire chief in Pinellas Park is retiring.
And there is a replacement already lined up.
- Guy Keirn joined Pinellas Park Fire Department in 1984
- He said meeting people has been most enjoyable part of job
- Deputy Chief of Operations Brett Schlatterer will replace him
Guy Keirn said the time has come, and while retiring was bittersweet, he said being a firefighter is in his blood and will always be part of who he is. He said he wants to focus more on his family.
He started with the fire department in December 1984.
"I made a decision when I was 21 years old and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life," Keirn said of joining the department.
He worked his way through the ranks, ultimately serving as chief, and he said the last 33 years went by in a flash. He said he has always enjoyed his job, especially the people he has met and worked with along the way.
"Some people talk about the fire trucks and the fire stations and this call or that building on fire," he said. "It's really the people, the people that have impacted me and touched me personally and professionally.
"Going out there, they have a need, they're having their emergency and we show up and we're able to help them and that stress, you see the relief on that family member," he said. "Because we show up, just walking in the door their day has gotten better because we're there.”
And even in his retirement, Keirn said he wants to give back to his community.
"This is not goodbye. It's a new journey," he said.
Keirn said he plans to spend his retirement spending more time with his family and working on his farm in Georgia.
Deputy Chief of Operations Brett Schlatterer will be promoted to chief. He has served with the Pinellas Park Fire Department since 1996.