“I would not give this profession up for anything,” Keller said. “The guys are what make it the best.”
Keller has seen a lot of fires in his career, but one that sticks out to him is a residential house fire on South Edgewood Ave. in the late 2000’s.
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“That was one of the biggest fires I’ve had,” he said.
He said over the years, he’s been able to watch the evolution of firefighting. The increase in the number of plastics in homes also increases the danger of fires, and extra precaution is taken to prevent cancer in firefighters.
“Fires, for us, since I’ve started, have gotten a lot hotter,” Keller said.
Aside from the camaraderie in the department, Keller said one of the things he’ll miss the most about his job is simply serving the public.
“I’ve seen a lot of things, but I think it’s just time to go,” he said.
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The City of Urbana held a farewell party for Keller on Friday, during which Urbana Director of Administration Kerry Brugger presented him with a caricature created by local artist, Mike Major.
Brugger said he and Keller have been able to grow together in their roles within the city and praised him for pulling the fire department together and challenging the status quo.
“You always want to leave things a little bit better than you found them, and I think he’s done that,” Brugger said. “He can look back on his time here with a significant amount of achievement and should be very proud of his efforts.”
A replacement for Keller hasn’t been named, but Brugger said the city is working with the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association during the decision process. Keller said a replacement could be named in September, and Urbana Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Asper will be filling in as chief in the meantime.
Keller’s next chapter of life will be at Navistar, working with loss prevention and security.
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