Lt. Brian Jones is proud of his last six months as a Morgantown firefighter.
He’s proud of the other 24 years too, but the COVID-19 pandemic made the last six months different and sometimes frustrating with the added worry of what you might be exposed to, he said.
And Jones, 57, did get COVID-19, causing him to miss his last shift on Dec. 11 — which seemed fitting for 2020.
“It was definitely difficult that day knowing I was sitting in a bedroom knowing I should have been at work, but there was just no way,” he said. Especially when there was a call for a structure fire on Cherry Street. Thankfully, it was just a stove fire.
At his retirement party on Tuesday, at Northside Fire Station, he told his guys how much he already missed them and the job.
“I absolutely love the job and all the people I work with,” he said.
Chief Mark Caravasos thanked Jones for his service, and he was given a plaque with an ax, as has become tradition for retirees in the Morgantown Fire Department.
Jones is one of many recent retirees from the department, something Caravasos said was normal as firefighters who were hired in waves retire.
However, there are always young firefighters coming up, and they have the benefit of being trained by those leaving who get to pass their experience down the line, Caravasos said.
In addition to normal firefighter duties, Jones did a lot of political stuff for the department.
“As soon as I got on the job, I got involved with going down to Charleston and working with the legislature and firefighters across the state trying to improve working conditions and such for firefighters,” Jones said. “Still do that, still plan to continue to do that.”
Jones has also sat on the state home rule board since its creation and said he hopes to keep doing that as well.
He also plans to visit Buffalo and watch his daughter play college soccer when her postponed season starts in the spring. Jones planned to retire in August to go watch those games, but with the postponement, decided there was “no real hurry to leave.”
Both Jones and Caravasos are confident the department is in good hands.
“We’ve got so many young guys that have gone through some of the best training that’s ever taken place here,” Jones said. “I still love the job so much, but we’re leaving things to some great young people.”
Tweet @WillDean_DP
