Pocono News Section

Kingston fire chief calling it a career

Kingston fire chief calling it a career - Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 6:00PM EST

Thursday, Mar 19, 2009 @ 06:00pm EST

For more than 40 years, Chief Robert Cannon has fought fires in Kingston .

But this month, he's calling it a career.

"It's been a great job, it's the greatest job in the world and i never regretted once second of it," says Cannon.

Chief Cannon was hooked the first time he touched a fire hose.

He showed us a picture of that moment...the Ruggles Lumber Company fire, August 9th, 1964 .

"Somebody yelled grab a hose. I did and that kind of got me started and I thought, this might be fun to do. I joined the volunteer fire company after that and here I am," says Chief Cannon.

And so began cannon's career.

Back then, Kingston had two fire companies under one department: the Columbian and Independent.

Cannon says a lot has stayed the same since then.

Cannon says, "Getting down to the basics it still hasn't changed you still have to put the water, the wet stuff on the red stuff as they say."

But so much has changed.

Kingston has one central fire company now.

Chief Cannon has fought hundreds of fires out of this department, some with happy endings, some fatal.

Each one as serious as the last.

"It is, it has been and will continue to be. But the longer you're in the more you realize it's a very serious business," says Chief Cannon.

Now it's time for chief cannon to get serious about retirement.

"I said to one of the guys that just got hired, the guy that's going to replace me. I said I kind of envy you, I wish I was starting my career instead of ending it."

But Chief Cannon says he won't stay far from the department.

He'll stop by to say hello and maybe, just maybe, don the fire equipment one more time.

Kingston already has a new fire chief lined up.

Frank Guido takes the reigns at the end of this month.