A coworker that I enjoyed working with over the years, passed away recently on his way to the firehouse.  While his passing away is sad, it is also a shame he never got to enjoy retirement. I am sure he had a retirement plan and fate interrupted that plan. So outside of that, how can you as a company officer help your firefighters prepare for that transition, because it is possible to retire too soon and it is also possible not to retire soon enough.
Retirement in the fire service is not a single event; it is a process that unfolds over years, sometimes decades. For many firefighters, the job is more than employment—it is identity, purpose, and community. As a result, retirement can feel simultaneously overdue and premature. The company officer occupies a unique position in this process: close enough to understand the personal realities of their people, yet experienced enough to appreciate the long arc of a fire service career. When approached deliberately, company officers can help their subordinates plan a retirement that allows them to enjoy the next chapter of life without the lingering regret of leaving too early.
One of the most important things a company officer can do is normalize retirement as a mark of success, not loss. Firefighters often equate longevity with toughness and commitment, and informal station culture can reinforce the idea that “real firefighters never leave.” Officers can counter this narrative by framing retirement as the natural completion of a demanding profession—one that has taken a physical and mental toll in exchange for meaningful service.
Normalizing Retirement as Part of a Successful Career
By speaking openly about retirement planning during routine career conversations, officers remove the stigma surrounding the topic. When firefighters see respected leaders discuss retirement as a healthy, planned transition rather than an abrupt exit, they are more likely to engage early and thoughtfully in their own planning.
Effective officers avoid pressuring firefighters into arbitrary timelines. Instead, they encourage long-range thinking. This includes helping subordinates understand pension eligibility, healthcare considerations, and the physical realities of aging in the fire service, while making clear that the decision of “when” belongs to the individual.
Encouraging Long-Range Thinking Without Forcing Timelines
A company officer’s value lies in asking the right questions rather than providing answers:
What do you want your life to look like five years after retirement?
What activities do you want the health and energy to enjoy?
What would you regret not being able to do if you stayed too long?
These conversations help firefighters recognize that retiring “too late” can be just as costly as retiring too early—particularly when health or mobility is compromised.
Balancing Experience Transfer With Personal Readiness
Firefighters often delay retirement because they feel responsible for the next generation. Company officers can help by structuring meaningful ways to transfer experience without trapping senior personnel in roles that no longer serve them. Assigning veteran firefighters to mentoring, training support, or acting-officer opportunities allows them to leave a legacy while still preparing to step away.
This approach reassures firefighters that their knowledge will not be lost and that the company—and department—will continue to thrive. When firefighters see that succession planning is intentional rather than reactionary, they are more comfortable letting go.
Helping Firefighters Build an Identity Beyond the Badge
Supporting off-duty interests, education, teaching roles, community involvement, or second-career exploration helps firefighters develop a sense of self that extends beyond the uniform. Officers who respect and encourage these pursuits send a clear message: the department values the whole person, not just the labor they provide.
One of the greatest risks of retiring “too early” is not financial—it is psychological. Firefighters who lack interests, relationships, or goals outside the station often struggle once the structure of shift work disappears. Company officers can subtly but powerfully influence this by encouraging balance throughout a career, not just at the end.
When retirement arrives, firefighters with a broader identity are more likely to feel ready rather than displaced.
Modeling Healthy Transitions Through Leadership Example
Company officers themselves serve as living case studies. How an officer talks about their own future—whether they express bitterness, fear, or thoughtful anticipation—strongly influences how subordinates perceive retirement. Officers who demonstrate healthy planning, professional humility, and acceptance of life stages set a powerful example.
Even officers who are years from retirement can model good behavior by prioritizing health, continuing education, and mentoring rather than clinging to authority or identity. This signals that a fire service career is something to complete with intention, not endure indefinitely.
Conclusion: Retirement as Stewardship, Not Abandonment
At its core, helping firefighters retire well is an act of stewardship. Company officers are not just managing today’s staffing and training; they are shaping the long-term well-being of their people and the sustainability of the organization. A well-planned retirement allows firefighters to enjoy the life they earned while leaving the department stronger, not weaker.
By normalizing retirement, encouraging thoughtful planning, supporting identity beyond the job, and modeling healthy transitions, company officers help ensure that firefighters do not leave too early—and just as importantly, that they do not stay too long. The result is a fire service culture that honors both service and the life that follows it.
The Third Bugle 