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Shopping Guide News Wednesday, June 26, 2024
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Butler retiring after 30 years in firefighting By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer Rochester Fire Department’s longest- serving Chief Tom Butler is retiring after 30 total years as a fireman. Butler’s last day is Friday, June 28. The public is invited to an open house from 3-5 p.m. that day, at the Rochester fire station. Butler has been chief for 16-and-a-half years. He first was a volunteer fireman for the department before becoming full time in 1997. He said becoming a firefighter helped to “fill that void” of serving others he had after leaving the military. Butler was a medic for 24 years with both the Army
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STARTING OUT — Tom Butler is shown in the late 1990s when he EHFDPH D IXOO WLPH 5RFKHVWHU ÀUHman. Photo provided by Tom Butler.
LONGEST-SERVING FIRE CHIEF — Rochester Fire Department Chief Tom Butler is retiring Friday, June 28, after 30 years with the department. +H·V WKH ORQJHVW VHUYLQJ ÀUH FKLHI KDYing been in that role since 2008. Photo by Leah Sander.
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and Army National Guard. His wife, Samantha, served alongside him in the military for a time. They have two kids, Alison and Daniel. He was actually deployed to the Middle East in 2005 while he was a firefighter. Butler, a 1983 Rochester High School graduate, called leaving the department “bittersweet.” “I mean I’m excited that I was able to do it for this long,” he said. “It’s not that I can’t do my job, but I’m thankful I’m not hurt or ill, so I feel like I can still go out and do other things.” Butler said he’s considering getting a “less stressful” parttime job after retirement. He said he’ll still be around to
answer questions for new Fire Chief T.J. Dubois, who is the current assistant chief. Other new leadership includes incoming Assistant Chief Jamie Gagnon and captains Brandon Cody and Alec Descoteaux. “I’m more than willing to help,” said Butler, noting he was “in-
vested in the Rochester Fire Department.” Butler said he’d miss “mornings in the kitchen” at the station. “The kind of change of shifts ... sometimes it’s good conversations, sometimes it’s some griping, but yeah, I think I’ll miss Continued on page 3
Early deadline The Shopping Guide News of Fulton County will observe an early deadline for the issue of July 3. All news copy, display advertising and classified advertising must be in the Rochester or Mil-
ford office by 1 p.m. Friday, June 28. All offices of The Papers will be closed Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. The Rochester and Milford office will y July 5. reopen Friday,
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