T.J. DuBois, who’s served with the Rochester Fire Department for 25 years as both a volunteer and full-time employee, became fire chief after the retirement of Tom Butler. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — T.J. DuBois was working in construction after college when his father, Mike DuBois, suggested he become a Rochester Fire Department volunteer fireman.

Mike was already serving as a volunteer, and T.J. agreed to join.

That’s led to T.J.’s 25 years with the department and becoming fire chief.

T.J. assumed that role after the retirement of Tom Butler on Friday, June 28. He’s served as assistant chief for the past few years after Ryan Murphy retired.

T.J., a Rochester native, graduated from Rochester High School in 1997. He got his associate’s degree in construction technology from Vincennes University.

He was a volunteer fireman for a year-and-a-half before becoming full-time in June 2001.

T.J. said he initially opted to move into a leadership role as captain due to it being “a fun opportunity.”

“I still enjoy doing it and have no reason to leave,” he said of why he’s remained a fireman for so long.

T.J. said one of his present goals as chief is focusing on training his crew.

“Experience wise, we are extremely young,” he explained. “We’ve got three at a year or less, and we just hired two more that have no experience.”

“We’ve really been pushing the training hard, getting some of these guys (certifications) to where the guys leaving were,” T.J. added. “We’re still in that transition, so … getting everybody up to (certification) like river rescue … These are skills they’re going to use for the next 20 to 30 years.”

T.J. is offering an open-door policy to the Rochester fire station as chief.

“The station’s here 24/7 if anybody has any questions, we’re always open to help them,” he said.

“We do CPR classes the third Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m.,” he noted. “We’d love to see anybody from the public that wants to be certified.”

People may sign up by calling the fire station at (574) 223-6113.

T.J. has been married to Ashley DuBois for 20 years. They have two sons: Warner, 13, and Wilsyn, 9.

He enjoys cycling on the Nickel Plate Trail and attending his sons’ sporting events in his spare time.