On the same day in June 1980, Phil Hadley and Terry Lamb were hired to work the hand crew of the Ventura County Fire Department.
Last week, the two retired together, ending their final shifts at 8 a.m. Thursday in Simi Valley. Both are 55.
“It’s a blessing working with your best friend each day,” Hadley said Wednesday, hours before the end of their last shift. When the pair started, they spent 2½ years together on the hand crew before graduating from the fire academy in 1983. For several years, Hadley and Lamb worked at separate stations across the county, from Oak Park to Fillmore.
However, for the past 24 years, Hadley, now a captain, and Lamb, an engineer, have served together on the same crew at Station 41 in Simi Valley.
“To be able to do that is a great comfort,” Hadley said.