Ed Kipker

WARSAW — Ed Kipker of the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory has seen four mayors and seven fire chiefs come and go and now it is his turn.

Kipker will officially retire Friday, April 1, though his last day on duty is Thursday, March 31.

“I’ll miss the camaraderie, the brotherhood,” he said of leaving behind his job of 35 years.

When Kipker started in 1981, firefighters did just that — they fought fires. Nowadays, he said, they do additional duties like cleaning up at wreck scenes and responding to EMS calls. Calls also now go through central dispatch, whereas before, they went directly to the station and one firefighter always had to stay behind during a fire run to monitor the phones.

Kipker did not relate any specific stories from his time with the department, but he noted there was a mix of good times and bad.

“That’s what the brotherhood is about,” he said. “Enjoying the good times and getting you through the bad times.”

While he will miss his fellow firefighters, Kipker looks forward to spending more time with his family, particularly his three, soon to be four, grandchildren. He also looks forward to spending more time on his family farm, taking care of beef cows.

“Right now, I’m having calves,” he said proudly of his herd.

A retirement open house for Kipker is set for 3-6 p.m. today, Wednesday, March 30, at Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory station 2, 2204 E. Center St., Warsaw.

“It’s been really bittersweet,” he said. “I’m going to miss the guys so much. It’s going to be a real emotional day for me. As much as it’s going to be great, it’s going to be terrible. These guys mean so much to me, it’s going to be really hard.”