Carbondale Fire Chief Ted Lomax is hanging up his hat. The Chief says it's time for him to retire and spend more time with his family.
"When I first started on, I kinda had set an age for myself because this is a very physical and demanding job," Lomax, 55, said.
And it seems that from a young age, the signs pointed to him becoming a firefighter, "When I was in kindergarten, the man that lived by my grandma was a firefighter and I just always inspired."
Following years of having firefighter mentors, the real push came after Lomax was married.
"Her father was the fire chief here in Carbondale, and we moved back over here," Lomax said. "Once he retired, I started testing with this department and after about four years, I got hired."
Tragedy played a large role in his career, and one incident in particular made him even closer with his fellow fighters, and inspired him to become an officer and eventually chief.