But those weren’t the ambitions he had as a young man.
“I never had a thought of being a fireman,” said Beers.
It was the family business, almost, that Beers thought was where he would spend his career.
“My grandfather worked at International, my dad worked at International, my brother worked at International,” he said.
Beers worked at the plant, too, now called Navistar International, but then he was drafted and served four years in the Air Force.
When he came home, he went back to International and made his way to the fire division after being laid off at the plant.
He also had a change of heart about the work.
“I didn’t want to be cooped up in a building all day long,” he said.
Beers joined the fire division and became lieutenant in 1986, captain in 1990 and assistant chief in 1991.
In Beers’ tenure, the fire division saw an overhaul from a focus on firefighting to medical service training.
“I think that’s what he leaves behind as his legacy,” said Mayor Warren Copeland.
Copeland credits Beers for the strength of the fire division.
“We have a superb fire division and that’s due to having had strong leadership over the years,” said Copeland.
Springfield Police Division Chief Stephen Moody agreed. Beers’ expertise is organization and planning, said Moody.
“Mike has set such a high benchmark,” said Moody. “The community is better served because of what Mike Beers was able to accomplish.”
Some tense moments Beers recalls was a high-rise fire at Tower Hall at Wittenberg University in the 1980s, and the Crowell-Collier fire in 1999.
But in all those life-threatening situations, Beers doesn’t remember being scared.
“I never really feared ... I always trusted the guy I was behind,” he said.
And, things have changed since 1975. Nowadays, there’s much more focus on safety, Beers said. When he joined the fire division, the guys used to ride on top of the fire truck — something that would never happen today.
Fires are burning hotter, too, because of more plastics used in materials today.
“There are lots of things we have to learn by what industry does,” he said.
Current Assistant Chief Nick Heimlich will succeed Beers. The official changeover will take place Friday.
Beers said he looks forward to doing some traveling with his wife of 37 years, Joanne. He said he also looks forward to spending time with their three daughters, Bryn, 27, and twins Kendy and Kelsey, 24.
Beers said his family has gotten him through the tough times in his career.
“They have been here for me, they’ve supported me,” he said.
Beers said his staff has been “an amazing group to work with,” and credits them for his accomplishments.
“They’ve been there for me through all the changes we’ve made, they got us where we are today,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0360 or vlough@coxohio.com.
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