Letter: A congratulations to BWG Fire's Captain John Burns on his retirement (3 photos)

Today is BWG Fire Captain Burns' last shift. Fellow firefighter, Joe Lotto wrote this note on behalf of the entire department. 

It has been said that consistency isn’t rocket science, it’s commitment. Those words truly describe a man who personifies those qualities through hard work, dedication, honor and loyalty. After 36 years on the job at BWG Fire and Emergency Services Department, Captain John Burns is retiring.

Captain Burns began his distinguished career as a Volunteer with the Bradford Fire Department in 1984.  Through those years, he achieved the rank of full-time firefighter in 1995, dual role of Firefighter/Fire Prevention Inspector from 1997 to 2005, Acting Captain from 2009 to 2017, and Captain from 2017 to present. 

In the fire service, we are often cross trained to perform various functions, and Captain Burns was no different, wearing different helmets throughout his career. He was a First Responder, a trainer, a teacher and a mentor. When teaching Firefighters, he ensured their training would serve them well, and to those he mentored, you can be confident that they remembered the lessons he taught so well.

The fire service can be rough on a family. We are away from our loved ones for long stretches of time, often putting ourselves in harm's way, always for the greater good. In spite of that, Captain Burns’ family has always been supportive of him. With his wife Patti, his daughter Mandy and son in law Mike, grandchildren Hanna and Noah by his side, he was able to reach 36 years relatively unscathed.

In a world of rapid change in the fire service, there has always been someone reliably consistent. That consistency is hard to maintain over a career as long as Captain Burns, but he managed it, he thrived at it, and that made us and our department better.

Today is a day many of us feared, mostly because Firefighters are resistant to change. But we are thankful for the time Captain Burns has been with the BWG Fire and Emergency Services Department, because we are better, we are stronger and we would not be where we are without him.

We wish him and his family well, in what is truly a well deserved retirement.

Congratulations, Captain Burns!