Robert Singletary fell into firefighting.
“I was never a little kid that wanted to grow up and be a firefighter, but I was blessed to be ... allowed to be one and to lead this department for the past 17 years,” said Singletary, whose last official day as Warner Robins fire chief was symbolically set for 9/11.
“It’s been a tremendous job, and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been an honor.” “I decided that school wasn’t really something I was interested in at that time, so my intention was to get a job and do it for a few years and then go back to school,” he said. “A few years turned into almost 35 years.”
He joined Warner Robins fire at age 20 on Feb. 1, 1982.
Within 2½ years, Singletary made driver engineer, which put him behind the wheel of a firetruck. In another 2½ years he made lieutenant, and then that same year he was promoted to chief of training.
After graduating from Warner Robins High School in 1980, Singletary went to college for about a year.