Tupelo fire chief talks retirement
Thomas Walker is hanging up his gear after nearly 12 years as fire chief in Tupelo.
Posted: May 19, 2021 9:25 AM
Posted By: Wayne Hereford
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - He spent 12 years as the Tupelo fire chief and started his career as a fireman in Iuka back in 1983.
Now, Tupelo Fire Chief Thomas Walker is retiring.
Tupelo Fire Chief Thomas Walker at groundbreaking of new fire station. Photo Date: April 8, 2021 What I m going to miss most is probably the age-old adage I will miss the people, he said on Tuesday. I will miss the adrenalin rush when the tones go off. But what I am not going to miss is the stress.
On Sunday night, Tupelo was positioned in the path of a powerful storm. Though it was a storm that developed quickly, it was soon inevitable that we would take a hit from the tornado, which had already damaged Calhoun County and other communities in its path.
At 9:30 p.m. the city declared a local emergency. The storm hit shortly after, and our battle-tested crews went to work. Unfortunately, Tupelo is no stranger to tornadoes. But fortunately, our past experiences have prepared our city well for these disasters.
As in prior natural disasters, Fire Chief Thomas Walker was designated the cityâs emergency response officer, and Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis was designated as the cityâs emergency relief officer. No time was wasted in responding to the needs of the city after the storm came through. The first call came in at 10:07 p.m.. Our response teams were ready, and I am extremely proud of their work.
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