PHOTOS: A Whitewater firefighter is coming up on a major milestone in his career, as he will hit 50 years of service before he retires next summer.
You can usually find Terry Phelps behind the wheel of a fire truck.
“I grew up on the fire department,” Phelps said. “My dad was on for 25 years.” Service is in Phelps’ blood. He was 21 years old when he decided to join the department and join in his dad’s footsteps. He is now 71 years old and one of his daughters works with the Sun Prairie Fire Department.
“I remember when I first got on. It’s been a good ride,” Phelps said.
He’s now closing in on 50 years of service and will retire next summer. It’s been a long career for him, but as a volunteer he’s said it’s more of a passion of his than anything else.
“It’s an adrenaline rush of some sorts, but it’s kept me going in retirement,” Phelps said.