August 31, Henderson — Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson retired Monday after 40 years of service. He became chief in 1999. A reception and dinner was held in his honor Monday afternoon from 4:00 PM until 6:30 PM at Central Fire Department on Dabney Drive. There were easily more than 300 people in attendance.
Wilkerson was all smiles at the event. He did not move more than a couple feet the entire two and a half hours as he shook the hand of each person in attendance.
As Wilkerson’s tenure wound down, he stood tall once again for his department as he has for so many years.
Assistant Fire Chief Steve Cordell will serve as Interim Fire Chief during the application and selection process.
If you combine Danny’s total service and his father Ranger Wilkerson’s total time together, Henderson has been served by the Wilkerson family for 80 years.
Danny Wilkerson started as a firefighter on July 24, 1975. On April 1, 1999, Chief Danny Wilkerson became chief as former Chief Ranger Wilkerson retired. Ranger served 40 total years and 32 years as chief. All together, their time protecting and serving has spanned 55 consecutive years.
Danny also served under contract as chief to Vance County through October of 2009.
Chief Wilkerson said, “We restructured the department some after he (Ranger) retired, and they may do that again when I leave, but the mission is still the same.” He agreed that it was to protect and serve.
Wilkerson reflected to a time in 2009 when deadly fires occurred in Henderson almost back to back. Several young people had perished. He said, “I felt like we were doing something wrong. That’s when we started our fire inspection program, and we haven’t had a fire death since then. We try to get into every home in the city limits and do inspections, get the person a smoke detector and install it.”
It just hit him recently that it was time to retire. “I’m not going home to just sit down. I will do something. Both my kids are out of college,” he said. “It was just the right time. It will give someone else a chance to be chief. The department is in good shape, and the mission will be carried forward.” Wilkerson spoke of how he was proud to work with the members of his department.
He said he would like to thank his family. Sandra, his wife, and his children Reece and Abbey “have supported me all the way,” he said. “Now I’m going to spend some more time with them. I have missed a lot of my children growing up, and I wish I hadn’t, but that is part of the job. I’m going to make it up now.”
The thing Wilkerson said he would miss more than anything — “I will miss the people in and around Henderson and the relationships.”
(Commentary: WIZS Radio would like to thank Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson for helping us on the phone, helping us with the reports, and for being accessible to help us gather news. He is a friend to this city and community, and he is a friend of local radio. The Daily Dispatch newspaper wrote in its earlier coverage of his retirement that it was the end of an era. It is indeed and a good one at that. The foundation put down by the Wilkerson family in modern-day firefighting is promising for the next era to be bright as well. Sincerely, John Charles Rose)