Eric Schroeder is hanging up his turnout gear for the last time today (Nov. 15), ending 30 years with the Davison-Richfield Fire Department.
Schroeder, 51, said he decided to retire this year while his health was still good, so he could enjoy more of his life.
“It’s time to pass the torch on to the next generation,” said Schroeder. “I can enjoy more of my life, sleep nights, have my weekends free – that’s what it boils down to.”
The battalion chief will continue his day job with Mercino Dewatering and Global Pump in Davison.
Schroeder, a 1986 graduate of Davison High School, credits time spent with firefighter Tim Lear when the two of them worked together at Hank Graff Chevrolet in the late 1980s, for his decision to join the department.
“We’d go to the fire station for lunch and I would talk to the guys,” said Schroeder. “When I turned 21, I joined the department.”