Kevin Doyle. Maysville Fire Department Chief Keven Doyle has announced his retirement, effective May 1.
According to Doyle, his last official day with the department will be on April 30.
“I’ve been chief for nine years,” he said. “When I started with the department, we had a 20 year hazardous duty retirement. I think there are a lot of reasons that a shorter retirement span is in place. I feel like over the last few years, I’ve done everything I can for the department. When I started in 2004, I said I was going to do my 20 years. I have other things in mind that I want to do and I just think it’s time.”
Doyle graduated from Bracken County High School in 2001. For a couple of years, he worked in construction while also on the Brooksville Volunteer Fire Department.
It was in 2004 that he began working with the Maysville Fire Department.
Doyle said he went to the EMT class with the idea of becoming a firefighter/EMT. He was unsure of exactly what he wanted to do with his life right out of high school, but had always been interested in fire service.
“I had a good friend that was working here,” Doyle said. “He talked to me about the benefits, the camaraderie, about being in fire service. I went to EMT class. In May 2004, there was a gentleman retiring from here right about the time I finished that class. I was fortunate enough to make the cut. The rest is history.”
Looking back over the last 20 years, Doyle said there are multiple good and bad moments he can remember/that still stand out to him.
One of those memories includes a fire on West Second Street right after he became chief. The fire took the lives of several individuals.
“The one that stands out the most is the Second Street fire,” he said. “Three of them were kids. That was in 2015, about two months after I became chief. It was hard to deal with. The fire itself was somewhat run of the mill, but it’s unheard of to have that kind of life loss. To deal with that early in my chief career, it was tough.”
Doyle said advice he has for anyone wanting to go into the career is to do research.
“I think the biggest advice would be to educate themselves in every opportunity they have,” he said. “Do that before and after you start. I’m not just talking about a specific class or formal education. I mean anything they can do to increase their knowledge about the job. If the opportunity for them to learn is to get in front of kids and give a presentation or being the first one to grab a patient on the scene, they need to put themselves in uncomfortable situations, because those are the situations that will make them better. Taking advantage of every opportunity put in front of you makes you a much better leader and better desirable to promote.”
According to Doyle, the department is in good shape, so he feels comfortable stepping away now.
“The department is in good shape right now in terms of staffing, good leaders that will provide some continuity, equipment is in good shape,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave any loose ends. That was something I thought about while preparing for this. Everything just fell into place over the last six months or so.”
Local News
