Initially appointed as the interim fire chief in September, after Chief Dennis O’Reily announced his retirement, Taylor Cerne (pronounced Chur-nee) officially became chief on Monday, Nov. 14.
A 17-year veteran of the Pittsburg Fire Department, Cerne began his fire career at the age of 20 while working at a grain elevator in Labette County when his boss asked him to volunteer with the Hackberry-Bartlett Fire Department in 2001.
“I immediately fell in love with the job,” Cerne said. “From there, I did everything I could to get certified. The more certifications I had, the easier it would be to get hired.”
Cerne earned his EMT certification at Labette County Community College and attended night school in Reddings Mill, MO to earn his Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. While attending Pittsburg State University, Cerne applied for and was accepted by the Pittsburg Fire Department in 2005 at 24 years old.