It's the end of an era in Chatham-Kent.
Bob Crawford is getting ready to step down December 31 after 13 years as fire chief in Chatham-Kent.
Crawford has been involved in fire services for 41 years and spent five years as the general manager of community development in Chatham-Kent.
A farewell party was held for him at Fire Station #1 on Wednesday afternoon where he had a chance to say goodbye and mingle with several friends, family, and colleagues.
Crawford said he took the chief's job in Chatham-Kent in 2001 to build trust and guide the way to an efficient and effective amalgamated fire service.
"We've had a lot of fun, a lot of enjoyment, a lot of wonderful experiences over the years. We've had a chance to make a difference in people's lives, whether it's a flood or it's a fire," said Crawford.
Crawford said he fell in love with his adopted home and never looked back.
"Deb and I and the kids, we moved here from the GTA. We pulled the ships up on the beach and we burned them. We're never going back and we made our home here," he added.
Crawford said he leaves the fire department in better shape than he found it but does have some regrets.
"Sometimes people still suffer loss due to fire and that's a frustration and I do take each of those things personally when we've had to respond to a fire where somebody has been injured or had a lot of property loss, it's always struck me as kind of a loss on my part," Crawford said.
Crawford said he'll continue skiing and hiking in his retirement and is beginning to take up curling.
Chris Case officially took over as the new fire chief on Monday. Case has 28 years of experience in fire services and started working with the Chatham-Kent Fire Department in 2016.
