Chief Kirk Young will soon wrap up his 40-year career with the Sparta Fire Department this week.
Young said he got his start after his wife pointed him to a newspaper ad stating Sparta was hiring police and firefighters. Young, a factory worker at the time, decided to take the job to better himself. Young said now just felt like the right time to call it a career.
“40 and a half years, I’ll say, is a long time to be at one place,” Young said. “I’m at the age now where I want to enjoy my wife. I still have a parent still living, I’m blessed to have her. And grandchildren.”
Young said he will miss the comradery shared between people in the department. Young said he enjoyed watching the volunteers develop.
“I’ve seen them start out, and I’ve seen our volunteers move on to other departments and be career firefighters elsewhere,” Young said. “It makes me feel good when I look at the paper or hear on an email from the county or the state, that some of these guys from Sparta are doing great things.”
As a fire chief, Young said he often had to put his emotions to the side to ensure everyone was safe. Young said he relied on his Christian faith, as he would pray before going on each call.
Young said the training became more in-depth over time, but the commitment was always big. Young said his retirement is a full-circle moment.
“Over my 40 years working with the city, I’ve seen it grow leaps and bounds and it’s a positive thing. I have no regrets” Young said.
Young will officially retire Tuesday.
