Looking back over his 28 years as a paramedic and firefighter, Bryan Thornton feels lucky.

“I’ve seen tough things over the years and a lot of good things,” said Thornton, who will retire May 31 as chief of Athens Fire & Rescue. “But, you just keep on going and know you’ve helped some people along the way. That’s what keeps you going. That’s what got me into the business in the first place.”

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks announced Thornton’s plans during Monday’s City Council meeting. His impending departure was not a surprise. When he took the job back in 2016 after serving as the department’s interim chief, he agreed to stay on until 2020.

He began his career in 1992 as a paramedic for Athens-Limestone Hospital Ambulance Service. In 1996, he became a firefighter. He was later appointed deputy fire chief by former chief Danny Southard, serving in that role under Southard and former chief Tony Kirk.

When Kirk retired in mid-2015, Thornton was appointed interim chief. Several months later, in November 2016, he was named chief. It was one of the easiest decisions the council ever made; they decided they need not look elsewhere.

Lucky?

At first blush, it’s difficult to understand how a guy who has seen fires, wrecks, injuries and sometimes death on a regular basis for nearly 30 years would feel anything close to lucky.

“It’s about getting to do the best job in the world and being blessed to have a great group of personnel to lead,” he said. “The city of Athens has such quality firefighters and EMTs.”

Nearly all of the department’s 42 firefighters are EMTs, he said. As first responders, they join the ambulance service in covering all of the city’s wrecks and emergency medical calls. The department’s three fire stations cover 40 square miles and a population of more than 26,000.

“They do a great job, and I’m just thankful for them and my family,” Thornton said.

He and his wife, Kathy, have two daughters, Shawnta Gray and Krystal Hobbs; sons-in-law, Charlie Gray and Ethan Hobbs; and four grandchildren. Thornton said his family has been there for him since he first walked in the firehouse door in 1996.

“It takes a strong person to take care of the family when you are gone 24 hours at a time (for your shift),” he said of his wife. “They are running the household, watching the children and getting them to and from activities. They are kind of on their own, and it takes a strong person. And they are not immune to feelings. They know when there is a bad fire, and they get nervous.”

Family away from home

The fact that all firefighter families have to go through it brings the firefighters closer together.

“I’ve watched these guys’ children be born and grow up, and that’s just been a blessing,” Thornton said. “It’s like being a member of the family, and that’s the great part of this job.”

He considers being a firefighter the best job in the world “because you work with great people and you get to help people,” he said.

But, it isn’t for everyone.

“Firefighters have to have the ability to perform at a high level when people are at their worst,” he said. “I’ve always tried to convey that this is a profession, not a job. Not everyone can do it. A lot of the time, you are putting yourself in harm’s way.”

For example, he said, people take firefighters and EMTs for granted when they see them at the side of the road working a wreck. Motorists overcome by curiosity sometimes forget to keep their eyes forward while driving.

“It’s one of the most dangerous things we do,” Thornton said. “Firefighters get hurt every day in the U.S. working wreck scenes.”

Next chief

Thornton said his last working day will be May 29.

After that, he hopes to spend time with his family, go camping and travel a bit, he said.

“I’m not going to go home and sit in a chair,” he said.

The mayor said Tuesday he plans to consider an interim fire chief, then open the application process.

“We may even consider an outside agency … to screen our applicants and narrow them down before taking it to the council,” he said.

However, it might not be the current city council that chooses the new chief. Council members could decide to let the next council, which will be elected Aug. 25, make that decision.

State law requires a newly elected city council to vote soon after they take office on whether to retain existing department heads such as fire chief, police chief, city clerk, city attorney, tax collector and tax assessor. It takes a majority vote — in the case of the Athens, three votes out of five — to reappoint a department head.

If the current Athens City Council was to select and appoint a new fire chief before the August election, and only a couple members of the previous council were re-elected, the majority of the newly elected council could decline to reappoint the chief. This would be a problem, especially if the chosen candidate moved to Athens specifically for the job.

While such a scenario has never occurred in the city of Athens, it has occurred in Rogersville, Daphne and other cities, according to Marks, who currently serves as the president of the Alabama League of Municipalities.

Where to look

Thornton doesn’t want to tell City Council members they should look inside or outside the department for a new chief, but there is no doubt he thinks there is talent inside. However, he does want the council to realize the city is growing and the fire department — and the equipment it needs — will have to grow with it.

“Right now, with the new schools and all the building, we really need one in north Athens off U.S. 31, and we also need one southeast of the city,” he said.

Although his career as chief is about to be in the rearview mirror, Thornton said there may be more ahead besides retirement.

“I have a couple of opportunities I hope will come through, but I’ll stay in Athens,” he said. “I have no plan on leaving.”