BATH TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLIO) - The Bath Township Fire Department is saying goodbye to its longtime fire chief.
Joseph Kitchen joined the department as a volunteer in 1990 and has served as fire chief for the past 24 years. Staff, friends and family gathered for his retirement party Friday afternoon to recognize Kitchen's decades of service, sharing stories and thanking him for his leadership and dedication to the department.
Kitchen said one of the things he's most proud of during his career is that the department has remained safe throughout his time as chief.
"In all of the years that I have been chief, we have been really blessed here at Bath to not have any firefighters killed or seriously injured, and that's a testament to safety regulations and good training and all the wonderful people I've worked with," Kitchen said. "I'm really proud of that."
Effective July 4th, fire inspector Ken Meyer will serve as interim fire chief while the Bath Township board of trustees begins the process of selecting Kitchen's permanent replacement.
