Deputy Chief Jim Ford left the Scottsdale Fire Department earlier this week, after 47 years on the job.
He began his career in firefighting when he was just 19 years old and started full-time with the rural/metro department in 1975. He joined the Scottsdale Fire Department in 2005 as Deputy Chief Fire Marshal.
"The City of Scottsdale only had 3 fire stations when I started, and now as I come to the close of my time here, the city will soon have 16 fire stations," Ford said in a news release. "Throughout all of this incredible growth and change, I consider myself blessed to have been able to play a small part and work with some amazing visionaries that were associated with the local political leadership, the incredible employees that serve this community, and the previously mentioned fire department professionals."