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McKenney Marks 20 Years Of Fighting Fires
Bob McKenney |
When Ellsworth Fire
Chief Bob McKenney takes a vacation, as he has done this week, it is
well-deserved.
“There are no
40-hour jobs in firefighting,” said Jonathan Marshall, the deputy
chief left in charge in McKenney’s absence.
“Bob started his
vacation on Friday. But he stopped in on Saturday morning, Sunday
morning and Monday morning, too. That’s just the way he is. He wants
to always know what’s happening here.”
The Ellsworth Fire
Department consists of McKenney, Marshall and six full-time
engineers, plus 35 volunteer firefighters.
McKenney himself
was a volunteer for six years before joining the city rolls in 1982.
At one of its meetings last month, the city council honored McKenney
for his 20 years of service.
He has been the
chief for the last six years, succeeding Everett Farnsworth. For the
past six months, he has assumed the position of Hancock County’s
representative to the Maine Chiefs Association.
McKenney works long
days: He arrives by 7 a.m., and often doesn’t leave before 9 or
10 p.m. He also shows up alongside the volunteers who respond to
calls at 1 or 2 in the morning.
“Bob is one of
those people, unless he is on vacation like this week, who is always
around,”
Marshall said. “He really takes the fireman lifestyle seriously.
“He definitely
deserves his vacation. He’s self-effacing and doesn’t like much
attention himself. But he is quick to praise his crew.
“He instills a lot
of confidence and loyalty.”
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