Fire chief announces retirement
After 34 years as a Uniontown fireman, Chief James C. Wood has decided to retire. “I just decided after 34 years, it was time to call it quits,” Wood said Friday. “That was one phase of my life, and now it’s time for the second phase. Thirty-four years is long enough.”
He submitted a letter of resignation Wednesday, his second day back on the job after knee surgery in July. He will retire Oct. 4.
A pulmonary embolism developed after the operation, but it has cleared up, and physical therapy on his knee will continue for another month, he said.
Wood, who has been the city’s fire chief since 1996, said he will remain on sick leave until his retirement date.
“I feel I’ve done a good job,” Wood said. “I hope I left it in good shape.”
His retirement leaves the fire department with 11 paid firefighters and 30 to 35 active volunteers.
Wood joined the department as a volunteer in 1967 and became a paid fireman in 1969.
At 55 years old and in good health except for his knee, Wood said he wants to move on to another career and spend more time with his wife and daughter.
“I’m not going to sit home and vegetate,” he said.
Wood said he has already received some job offers, but he is not yet ready to commit to another job.
He said he has been considering retiring for about year.
“This was my decision. It was time,” Wood said.
“Jim Wood will be missed,” said City Councilman Gary Crozier, director of public safety.
A volunteer fireman since 1968, Crozier said he has known Wood since he joined up and credited him with running an excellent department
“We’ve got an excellent fire department,” Crozier said. “We’re very lucky to have what we have, both paid and volunteer.”
However, the city will not hire Wood’s successor until next year.
Crozier said assistant chief Myron Nypaver, who is also the city’s code enforcement officer, will be the ranking member of the department until a new chief is hired.
“We always try to hire from within the department,” Crozier said.
Wood, Nypaver, Capt. Harold Bell and Capt. Chuck Coldren were the only candidates who took a civil service test for the chief’s job in 1996.
An outside agency provided the test, while fire chiefs from other municipalities helped conduct interviews.
Crozier said he still has the test results and their civil service rankings. He said he did not participate in the testing or interviewing.
While Nypaver, Bell and Coldren have been told that the chief’s job will not be filled until next year, Crozier said all off them are qualified for the position.
“Any one of them could be chief right now,” Crozier said. “They know how to run the fire department. The fire will be put out.”