Minutes after firefighters at Morgantown’s Northside Station sat down to eat wings and pizza in celebration of the retirement of 20-year veteran firefighter Tim Trentini, a smoke detector on Walnut Street sounded.
Most of the building emptied, some firefighters finishing their slices of pizza on the way to a fire truck while others left their plates behind untouched.
Calls normally happen like that around dinner, Trentini said.
When the last of Trentini’s company returned about 45 minutes later, festivities resumed and Trentini was presented with an engraved axe, as is the tradition at Company 3, Capt. Gary Freshour said.
“I always said when I got my 20 in … that I would probably retire to give the opportunity for a young guy to get hired,” Trentini said, adding that in the end it was a difficult decision to write that letter.
Trentini said he hopes the city finds a way to keep all of its current firefighters and continue to grow.
He said he’s thankful to the men and women he’s served with — all of who are part of his family.
“The officers that we have now, the only thing this place can do is go up,” Trentini said.
Freshour said Trentini and his 30 years of knowledge — 10 from serving with Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department — would be missed. Trentini is knowledgeable about the trucks and hydraulics and was invaluable for teaching people about those topics.
“Timmy’s great,” Fire Chief Mark Caravasos said. “I’ve known Tim since I got into the fire service when we were volunteers. … Trained together, worked together, I’ve been his boss, on occasions he’s been my boss. Great guy absolutely a great guy.”
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