Deputy Fire Chief Colin Curtis Retires After 29 Years

After working nearly 30 years for the , Deputy Chief Colin "Corky" P. Curtis is hanging up his fireman's hat.

Curtis has announced his retirement, a month after fellow deputy fire chief said he was retiring.

Both men were hired in the early 1980s — Johnson in 1980, Curtis in 1981. They both helped transform the department from one that mainly fought fires to one with specialized teams for hazardous materials, technical rescue, terrorism, ice / water rescue, mass casualty events, emergency medical care and more.

Curtis helped create the Paramedic Training Center that trained more than 125 recruits for the city of Brookfield and other fire departments in the region. He served on the city's Emergency Medical Service Committee and Waukesha County Fire Chiefs Association.

He was active in working through consolidated dispatching services and the city's geographic information system.

Hired as a firefighter in May 1991, Curtis was promoted to deputy chief of training in March 1990 and deputy chief of operations in November 1995.

Mayor Steve Ponto recently awarded Curtis with a plaque and Common Council resolution honoring his retirement, which said Curtis "has continually strived to improve the quality and level of services provided to the community."