After 41 years, Chicago's longest-serving firefighter is retiring.
Battlion Chief Jimmy O'Donnell, a Chicago native, began his career with the department in 1979, WGN-TV reports. Given a choice, he would still like to continue as a firefighter, but he's reached the age of mandatory retirement for the department.
“They are kicking me out," O'Donnell told WGN. "I’ll be 63 on Flag Day and that’s when we gotta go."
During his time as a Chicago firefighter, O'Donnell responded to countless emergencies and city crises, like the 1995 heat wave that killed hundreds. He also was part of a group of Chicago firefighters who traveled to New York City to help at Ground Zero following 9/11.
The job also cost O'Donnell an eye. He could have claimed disability and retired after the on-the-job injury, but he remained with the department.
“I wanted to stay. No regrets, I loved every day of it,” O'Donnell told WGN.
