Over the next ten months, the Newton Fire Department will be losing over 80 years of experience. Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik says he knows of three upcoming retirements. 

“Rick Norrish, firefighter, will have been here 23 years in August when he retires. Captain Chad Ray will retire in October with 31 years of service. Assistant Chief Rex Hiesdorffer will retire in March of next year, right at 30 years of service. So those three people together are 84 years.”

Currently, Chief Wellik says the Newton Fire Department’s 27 members have a total of 177 years of experience. That’s an average of six and a half years. But he adds the three staff members coming up on retirement account for 47% of the department’s total experience.