09/15/2026
Public announcement.
A Farewell After 34 Years……
Good evening, everyone.
There are some things in life that are easy to say, and there are some things that you can practice a hundred times and still have trouble getting the words out. Tonight is one of those moments for me. After 34 years of serving the Gandy Fire department and Lawrence County Fire & Rescue Association I have made one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I have decided to retire and resign from active service as Chief 11. That sentence is difficult for me to say because this has never just been a job. This department has been a part of who I am, for most of my life. I started there as a junior firefighter following under the arms of some of the bravest men and women, I have ever meet in my life. I was just a kid when I first walked through those doors, never really knowing how much those doors would come to mean to me. I followed in the footsteps of my father, and I wasn’t just following my dad, but I was following the footsteps of many other officers and members of my family who had served before me. I grew up watching them put on the gear, answer the calls, leading this department, and serve their community. My father eventually became Chief, and he served in that position for many, many years. I watched him lead, I watched him make difficult decisions, I watched him worry about this department and the people in it and eventually, I had the privilege of following him into the Chief’s position, that is something I will always be proud of and consider a honor. My father eventually resigned and retired and later, I had to say goodbye to him when he passed away and I observed one hell of an honor shown to him from the members of this department. There are moments when I wish I could sit down with him one more time and talk about this job. I wish I could ask him what he would think about some of the decisions I’ve had to make. I wish I could tell him about how much this department has changed. And I wish I could tell him that I tried my best to carry on what he and those before him started. I can only hope I have made him proud. Over these 34 years, I’ve worn every hat this department has. I’ve been a firefighter, a lieutenant, a captain, served as assistant chief, and eventually, I had the honor of becoming Chief and even served as Officers of the Board. Every position along with every person I served with taught me something, while every year added another chapter to a story that I never expected to become this long. I’ve seen this department grow, equipment change, training change, technology change, and I’ve watched the department become stronger, better trained, and better prepared to serve this community.
But some things never change, When the tones drop, somebody still had to answer, someone still had to leave their family, get out of bed, leave work, or put down whatever they’re doing and go help a stranger. That’s what the fire service has always been about, And I’m incredibly proud that for 34 years, I got to be one of those people. But there is another side of this job that people don’t always see. There are calls that firefighters never forget, the things you see that you can’t unsee, the voices, faces, smells, scenes, and moments that stay with you long after the trucks return to the station. I’ve been on calls over the years that still live with me, some of them I can talk about, Some of them I can’t, And some of them I probably never will. But they are there, they become a part of you. I’ve carried some of those calls with me every day, and I know I’m not alone in that. That’s just one of the things people outside the fire service sometimes don’t understand. When we go home, the call doesn’t always stay at the station, sometimes we carry it home with us, sometimes we carry it for years, and yet, despite all of that, I wouldn’t trade these 34 years for anything, Because alongside the bad calls were some of the greatest moments of my life. I’ve watched people come together, I’ve watched firefighters risk themselves for complete strangers, I’ve watched young people walk into this department as kids and grow into incredible firefighters and leaders, I’ve watched brothers and sisters stand shoulder to shoulder when their community needed them, I’ve watched this department change and grow, And I’ve watched friendships become family. I’ve made memories here that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’ve laughed here, cried here, been angry here, been exhausted here, been scared here, And I’ve been incredibly proud here. There have been times when being Chief was one of the greatest honors of my life. There have also been times when it was one of the hardest responsibilities I’ve ever carried. Being Chief means making decisions when there isn’t always a good answer, It means accepting responsibility when things go wrong, worrying about your firefighters, worrying about their families, It means trying to make the right decision even when there isn’t a perfect decision, And I have tried to do that to the best of my ability. I know I haven’t been perfect, for I have made mistakes, I have made decisions that some people agreed with and decisions that some people didn’t. But I want everyone to know that every decision I made came from one place: My heart which was always with this department and the people who served in it. I have never worn this badge casually nor have I ever taken the responsibility lightly, And I have never forgotten what it means to serve this community. That’s why this decision has been so difficult. Walking away from something you’ve given 34 years of your life to isn’t easy. There is a part of me that doesn’t know how to imagine not responding when the tones drop.
Not walking through those doors, not climbing on that truck, not standing beside the people I’ve stood beside for so many years. But sometimes you must recognize when it’s time to pass the responsibility to the next generation, And I believe that time has come for me. I don’t leave because I don’t care, I leave because I care so much, I want to leave this department with the same pride I had when I first walked through those doors as a junior firefighter.
I want to leave knowing that I gave everything I could give, And I want the next generation to have the opportunity to take this department farther than we ever imagined it could go.
To the members of this organization: Thank you.
Thank you for trusting me, for standing beside me, for challenging me, for supporting me, for answering the calls. Thank you for the countless hours that nobody outside this organization will ever know about. Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families have made, and to the younger members, I want you to understand something, one day, you will look back and realize how quickly these years go. Take care of this organization, take care of each other, Respect the people who came before you, Learn from their mistakes.
Build on their successes and never forget why you joined in the first place.
The badge isn’t about the person wearing it, it’s about the people you’re there to serve. And finally, to my family: Thank you for sharing me with this organization for 34 years, You made sacrifices, too. There were dinners missed, Holidays interrupted, Nights when I wasn’t home, Times when the department needed me and you had to understand that. I know the fire department didn’t just take time from me, It took time from you, And I will always be grateful for your understanding and support.
And Dad…
I wish you were here, I wish I could stand beside you tonight and tell you personally that I made it. That little kid who followed in your footsteps all those years ago eventually became Chief. I don’t know if I ever told you enough how much that meant to me, But I hope you knew and I hope you know now. I tried to carry the name, the badge, and the responsibility with the respect they deserved, to leave half the legacy that you did. And as I take this next step, I know I’m not really leaving everything behind, Because 34 years doesn’t disappear when you turn in your gear. The memories stay, the friendships stay, the lessons stay, the people whose lives we touched stay, And this organization will always be a part of me.
So tonight, I don’t want to say goodbye, I’d rather say thank you. Thank you for allowing a young kid to walk through those doors 34 years ago.
Thank you for allowing me to grow, for allowing me to serve, for allowing me to lead, and thank you for giving me a lifetime of memories.
It has been the honor of my life to serve this county and this organization
I am proud of where we’ve been, of where we are, And I am proud of the people who will carry this department into the future.
My time as Chief is coming to an end, my time as an active firefighter is coming to an end. But my love for this organization never will.
Once you’ve worn the badge…
once you’ve heard those tones…
once you’ve stood beside your brothers and sisters when someone needed help…that never really leaves you.
So, after 34 years, I guess there is only one thing left for me to say.
Thank you for letting me serve, It has been my privilege, It has been my honor, and to all of you in this organization that I consider my Family, it has been ONE HELL OF A RIDE!!!!
Stay safe, take care of each other, Take care of this organization.
And never forget the people who came before you and the people who will come after you.
God bless you all, God bless this fire department, and God bless the families and county we’ve been honored to serve.
Thank you. Yours Truly,
Chief Jonathan Burnett
“Neighbors Helping Neighbors”
“One Team One Goal”
Lawrence County Fire & Rescue Americas true HERO’S
