When a fire call comes in, time is of the essence. And if Steve Falkner is around, you can bet that he knows the quickest route to get from the firehouse to the scene.
Falkner began his 40th year with the Henderson Fire Department last week, and his colleagues celebrated the milestone with the person they affectionately know as “Chicken.”
A social media post shows Falkner sitting behind a big cake and fellow firefighters surrounding him, along with text which reads, in part, “…we all know him as someone who is full of great experience and knowledge…”
In a phone conversation with WIZS News Monday, Falkner said he wasn’t really sure of the origin of his nickname, but it may have come from the mid-to late 1980’s when he was a fire dispatcher – before the days of the 911 call center.
He may or may not have been known to run around the fire department like a chicken with its head cut off, he said.
The first to add his comments to the post was Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, who said Falkner was the source of advice, humor and help to all. “He is like a walking encyclopedia of history and knowledge of our area,” Twisdale continued. “He definitely keeps things going at the fire station.”
For his part, Falkner said the celebration was “a very, very nice thing they did for me.” He’s worked with some good leaders in the fire department since he first came on the scene in 1984.
By 10 a.m. Monday, the post had 76 comments, and by 3 p.m. Monday, the number of reactions to the post had swelled to 353.
In the words of Chief Twisdale, Falkner is “a joy to have around. Here’s to 40 and many more!”
Congratulations to Steve Falkner for his four decades of service to the community.
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