Rochester Fire Department Chief Tom Butler is retiring Friday, June 28, after 30 years with the department. He’s the longest-serving fire chief, having been in that role since 2008. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Rochester Fire Department’s longest-serving Chief Tom Butler is retiring after 30 total years as a fireman.

Butler’s last day is Friday, June 28. The public is invited to an open house from 3-5 p.m. that day, at the Rochester fire station.

Butler has been chief for 16-and-a-half years. He first was a volunteer fireman for the department before becoming full time in 1997.

He said becoming a firefighter helped to “fill that void” of serving others he had after leaving the military. Butler was a medic for 24 years with both the Army and Army National Guard.

His wife, Samantha, served alongside him in the military for a time. They have two kids, Alison and Daniel.

He was actually deployed to the Middle East in 2005 while he was a firefighter.

Butler, a 1983 Rochester High School graduate, called leaving the department “bittersweet.”

“I mean I’m excited that I was able to do it for this long,” he said. “It’s not that I can’t do my job, but I’m thankful I’m not hurt or ill, so I feel like I can still go out and do other things.”

Butler said he’s considering getting a “less stressful” part-time job after retirement.

He said he’ll still be around to answer questions for new Fire Chief T.J. DuBois, who is the current assistant chief. Other new leadership includes incoming Assistant Chief Jamie Gagnon and captains Brandon Cody and Alec Descoteaux.

“I’m more than willing to help,” said Butler, noting he was “invested in the Rochester Fire Department.”

Butler said he’d miss “mornings in the kitchen” at the station.

“The kind of change of shifts … sometimes it’s good conversations, sometimes it’s some griping, but yeah, I think I’ll miss that, and I want to say (I’ll miss) being able to make a difference for someone, too,” he said.

His favorite memories consist of teaching fire prevention to kids, including the “Chief Do Wrong” skits he and former Assistant Chief Ryan Murphy created. Butler remembered encountering a family at Walmart. They noted they practiced a fire drill after he spoke with their child at school about fire safety.

“At least then you know if you’ve made an impact if the kids go home from school and they actually practice their home and fire safety drill,” said Butler.

He’d encourage others to become firefighters because they “have the opportunity to make a difference in (their) community.”

“There are times when you come home, and you’re like ‘I made a difference in that call. I changed the outcome,’” said Butler. “There is no greater high in life than that.”