MADISON, Wis. — The City of Madison Fire Department announced on Monday that Apparatus Engineer Jon Byrd will retire this week, capping off 22 years of service with the City of Madison.
Byrd joined the MFD on August 10, 1998, but his journey toward a career in fire and EMS began early in his childhood. His dad was a founding member of Waunakee Area EMS, which meant the younger Byrd spent a lot of time exploring the station as a kid, eventually becoming his dad’s sidekick on EMS calls once he was old enough to drive. He says the early exposure to some serious and tragic calls was an eye-opener, but it did not deter him from pursuing the career full-time.
Throughout his career, it was important to him to keep the curriculum fresh and to stay informed about the latest in fire apparatus technology so the department could remain on the cutting edge of changing industry standards. As a member of the MFD/Fire Fighters Local 311 Apparatus Committee, Byrd helped design and spec 36 new vehicles, including engines, ladders, squads, and most recently, the new tiller at Station 1.
Among the most memorable calls he responded to was significant pile-up on the interstate highway resulting from thick fog that rolled through the county. The string of serious crashes resulted in several injuries, some of them fatal.
“At the end of the incident we were all drained, emotionally and physically,” Byrd recalled. “We got up out of the ditch by the ladder truck and the fog had lifted. Suddenly you could see down the street very well, and there were a ton of car seats sitting on the interstate that they’d pulled out of the vehicles. That was the most heart-wrenching thing; my son Graham was probably two years old at the time.”
As he eases in to retirement, Byrd looks forward to spending the summer months in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the winter months in the warmth of Florida.
“I hope labor and management can continue to work together even in the rollercoaster of an economic period that we’re having nowadays,” says Byrd. “I hope that members never lose the mindset that we’re here together as a team to help serve the community.”
More information on Byrd and his career can be found here.
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