Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Chief Charles Gordon is ending his tenure as the city’s 21st fire chief.
Gordon, 57, will retire effective Dec. 28 after 30 years with department. However, his last day on the job will be next Tuesday. Gordon joined the department in January 1989 and rose through the ranks until he was appointed chief by former Mayor William Bell in September 2014.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,’’ Gordon told AL.com Wednesday. “30 years being a part of something, it’s become a big part of my life. I think about and tears come to my eyes.”
Gordon likes to tell the story about how it almost didn’t happen, all because of a slip on a balance beam when he was training to become a firefighter. He had completed all of the required tasks – such as running and dragging a heavy dummy – and only had to complete the required walk on an inches-wide beam toting a massive fire hose.
He fell off, not once but twice.