But it was the work that would keep him coming back for the next 40 years.
âI decided I wanted to do a ride-along and just got hooked,â he said.
âA lot of people think itâs the adrenaline, but youâre helping people. You know, youâre seeing people on one of the worst days of their lives and you get to make a difference, you get to give them closure, and help them through a stressful situation.â
Billy Altman signed up as a volunteer with the Roanoke Life Saving Crew in 1980. Courtesy of Roanoke Fire-EMS
Altman, now 57, signed up as a volunteer with the Roanoke Life Saving Crew in 1980. Heâd go on to be part of the first paid paramedic crew created by the city just five years later.
Roanoke Fire-EMS deputy chief retires after 35 years
‘It’s exciting. It’s sad. It’s scary.’
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ROANOKE, Va. – After 35 years of service, Deputy Chief Billy Altman retires on Jan. 8.
Deputy Chief Billy Altman began his career in public safety in 1980 as a volunteer at Roanoke Life Saving Crew. In 1985 Altman was hired as one of the City of Roanoke’s paid Paramedics employed to support the EMS volunteer program.
In 1988, he was promoted to EMS Field Supervisor, overseeing the daily operations of the career EMS staff. In 1995, the City’s EMS program merged with the Fire Service and Altman was promoted to Captain within the new formed Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. In 2003 he was promoted to Battalion Chief of the Training Division and in 2007 was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Department.
NEWS RELEASE: After 35 years of service, Roanoke City Deputy Fire Chief Billy Altman retires. Altman began his career in public safety in 1980 as a volunteer at Roanoke Life Saving Crew. In 1985 Altman was hired as one of the City of Roanoke’s paid Paramedics employed to support the EMS volunteer program. In 1988, he was promoted to EMS Field Supervisor, overseeing the daily operations of the career EMS staff. In 1995, the City’s EMS program merged with the Fire Service and Altman was promoted to Captain within the new formed Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. He continued to rise through the ranks, in 2003 he was promoted to Battalion Chief of the Training Division and in 2007 was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Department.