Fairfield Citizen
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — An emotional Richard Felner informed the Fire Commission Thursday that he will retire as fire chief when his contract expires in June 2015.
With his wife, Linda, and son, Brian, in the audience, Felner, 76, read a letter to the commission, telling them he did not want his contract renewed. He had to stop several times, overcome with emotion.
“Since my first day on February 2, 1959, I have had a rewarding career serving in every capacity from rookie firefighter to chief, and all the ranks in between,” Felner said. “Throughout the years I have done my best to move the department forward with advanced programming, training and emergency response, making it one of the finest departments in the state of Connecticut.” He said while his 55 years with the department have been irreplaceable, “it is time for me to move forward.”
Full story: Felner to retire as fire chief, ending 55-year career in Fire Department