Longtime Osawatomie Fire Chief Brian Love has had a passion for fighting fire ever since he was 12 years old and going on fire runs with his dad, Bob, in Hiattville, Kan. Bob was a volunteer firefighter and farmer in the rural community southwest of Fort Scott, and Brian has childhood memories of the fire phone ringing in the house when there was a fire. “It would sound one solid ring until someone answered,” Brian said. “When we picked it up, we would just listen to get the details of the fire. It was like a party line.” After high school, Brian followed his passion to the Fort Scott Fire Department, where he worked full-time for two years before joining the South Johnson County Fire Department covering Aubry, Stilwell and Spring Hill. He worked there for 10 years, working his way up to captain. In 2003, Brian built a home in Osawatomie and started volunteering with the Osawatomie Fire Department. He also started working for the Kansas State Fire Marshal Office as a fire prevention inspector. He steadily moved up the ranks at the Osawatomie department, and he was named chief in 2013. Brian has spent the past 20 years of his 40-year career fighting fires in Osawatomie and training the next generation of firefighters, but he has decided it is time to retire and move on to the next stage of his life. “My brain and my body tell me it’s time,” Brian said. Members of the community were able to wish Brian well and thank him for his service during a retirement reception that took place Saturday, Jan. 20, in Osawatomie. Brian said when he looks back on his career, it’s not individual honors or specific fires that stand out to him. “I’m more proud of the people that I’ve trained who are now officers in other departments,” Brian said, adding that he has worked with firefighters who are ow officers in Kansas City, Mo., Johnson County, Lawrence, Topeka and other areas. Brian also is appreciative of the officers who trained him, and all of firefighters who have been by his side over the years.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
