The Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department is recognizing Mark Seitz following his retirement after more than 42 years of service to the community.

Seitz spent all 42 years with the department, including 24 years as fire chief.

Reflecting on his career, Seitz said the support of the Chickasaw community, his fellow firefighters and the department's board of directors made his years of service especially rewarding.

"Chickasaw is a great community, and I really enjoyed my time being chief," Seitz said. "I had great guys underneath me that supported me all the way, and the community really stood behind me through the 42 years."

Seitz also encouraged others to consider volunteer firefighting, calling it an opportunity to serve others while building lifelong friendships.

"It's a great organization of volunteers," he said. "You get to meet a lot of new friends... and you always have to learn. There's no room to give up because there's so much to learn in this service."

He also credited his wife and family for making his career possible, saying they supported him through countless emergency calls that often pulled him away from family gatherings.

The Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department thanked Seitz for his dedication and wished him the best in retirement.