After retiring in October, former Somers Fire Chief Carson Wilkinson, a self-described workaholic, is still adjusting to just being a “spectator.” He also wonders about the future of firefighting in the community.
Wilkinson joined the Somers Fire and Rescue Department as fire chief in 2016, the final step in a five-decades-long career in firefighting. It began during his freshman year of high school as part of a Boy Scouts fire-rescue squad.
“I did well at it, I enjoyed it,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson joined the Kenosha Fire Department immediately after high school, as soon as he came of age.
“They were looking at this 18-year-old kid, saying ‘How does he know what he wants to do with his life?’” Wilkinson said, recalling his start. “I got to work with some fantastic people.”