He’s been a firefighter, a fire inspector and a fire marshal.
But after 45 years, Ron Whipple is ready to call it a career.
Whipple, 71, officially retired on June 29 after spending the past 14 years as a fire inspector, fire marshal and interim fire chief of the Bedford Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Previously he was a chief at the Frenchtown Township Fire Department for nine years and a firefighter there for 10 years before that.
A U.S. Air Force and Vietnam veteran, Whipple retires as one of only about 130 nationally accredited fire marshals in the country.
“It’s been a very rewarding career,” he said. “Like a lot of careers it’s something where, once I got a taste of it, I said, ' This is what I want to do.' It’s what I love.”
Whipple’s career began in February of 1973, when he first applied to be a volunteer firefighter.