Wis. fire chief retires after 40 years of service

Chief Tom Larson provided the department with 6 FEMA grants, a new snorkel truck and a safety a feature for fire trucks and traffic signals

WEAU

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — A man who has helped fight fires for decades in Chippewa Falls for decades has retired.

Chief Tom Larson has served more than 40 years to the Chippewa Valley, but at 7:00 A.M. on April 10th, he embarked on a journey of retirement. "I gone to school to be an electric lineman,” says 59 year old, retired Chief Tom Larson.

It was the year 1974, when Tom Larson graduated from District 1 Technology Institute, or better known as CVTC. With only 19 years behind him he searched for a job. He says, "I saw in the paper that Chippewa Falls Fire Department was hiring part-time firefighters so I applied for that and knew this was the career I wanted to do." After working as a reserve for six years, he was finally hired on full-time in 1980. "I just thought it was really cool and they had a couple of big fires that I got to fight right away,” explains Larson.

Full story: Chippewa Falls fire chief retires after 40 years of service