Minnesota's longest-serving firefighter retires after 56 years
Minnesota’s longest-serving firefighter honored
After 56 years in the Rosemount Fire Department, 79-year-old Pete Lundell is being honored for his efforts, and recognized as Minnesota's longest-serving firefighter.
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (FOX 9) - Pete Lundell, Minnesota's longest-serving firefighter, is being honored for his remarkable 56-year career with the Rosemount Fire Department.
Celebration events planned
What we know:
A celebration will be held at the Police and Public Works Campus from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, with remarks and special gifts at 4:30 p.m. The event will include a signed old hose, a record of his service, and a street sign.
The city council will recognize Lundell at 7 p.m. at City Hall, where they will declare it Peter Lundell Day in Rosemount. Much of the department and Lundell’s family will be in attendance.
A career full of dedication
What they're saying:
"There's a noise that the pager goes off, and then there's words. My dad would get up as soon as the noise went off," said Kelly Malecha, Lundell's daughter, recalling her father's dedication to firefighting.
Kelly will always remember the love her father has for helping people.
The day FOX 9 went to interview Pete at the Rosemount fire station, was the first day Kelly saw what her father had in his locker.
"I was amazed. It was very heart-warming. He has a big heart for everyone."
Pete is the only firefighter with a locker full of family photos.
After 56 years in the Rosemount Fire Department, the 79-year-old man is being honored for his efforts, and recognized as Minnesota's longest-serving firefighter. (FOX 9)
He credits his family’s support for his years on the job. They’re the first and last faces he sees before and after a radio call.
"I got a great family to come back to. When I get to that call, I gotta be a little more careful. I gotta be a little bit more diligent to make sure we're back," he said. "They have never even suggested me quitting. They got the patience that I probably don't have. And they let me do the job I love."
Over the years, Pete has been recognized for his work and dedication but nothing could’ve prepared him for the day he retired. It’s a feeling that is bittersweet.
Dig deeper:
Pete Lundell grew up on a farm with eight of his siblings.
He remembers the lessons he learned as a child as he and his family worked on the farm to provide food.
Pete’s older brother was one of the first firefighters to work for the Inver Grove Fire Department.
It was his brother who suggested he try it out.
He remembers his first day on the job at 23 years old in October 1969.
"I was hooked," Pete said as he laughed.
After 56 years in the Rosemount Fire Department, the 79-year-old man is being honored for his efforts, and recognized as Minnesota's longest-serving firefighter.
A lot has changed since his first day.
Calls have changed.
"Car accidents, they’ve improved the safety on them," he said. "Nobody had alarms. We get a lot of alarms now like smoke alarms or CO alarms. In the past they never had those," he says.
Technology and the way to fight fires has also improved.
"Now we got pagers and we got an app on our phone where we get the calls, and we respond to the station. Before some of the officers had a landline and they got a call on their landline. Then they'd go to the stations, hit a button on the station, a siren would ring. And we heard the siren, and we'd report to the station," he said. "We’d do defensive fires. We’d spray through the windows and through the doors, you know, and put the fire out. Then in the late 70s, early 80s, we started going offensive fire. That's when you put the packs on, and you went inside to put the fires out and that’s pretty much the same now," he recalls.
Pete has also trained so many firefighters he has seen come and go.
Now it’s time to leave the career he dedicated so much time and effort to make better.
"They're having the worst day of their life, those people, if you get a chance to help them, you get the opportunity to make that day better. That's one of the best feelings you can have," he says.
Pete’s decision to retire wasn’t one he wanted to make. Instead, it was one he knew he had to make.
The last month has been tough but he knows it’s time to say goodbye.
"My body told me it's time," the 79-year-old said.
"Did it tell you it's time before and you just didn't listen?" FOX 9 reporter Symone Woolridge asked jokingly.
"Well, it might have whispered a couple of times," Pete laughed as he responded. "I can't do the job the way I should. I should leave and let a young guy take over."
Pete’s family knows firsthand how hard this decision was for him.
His daughter couldn’t hold her emotion when talking about her dad's final day at work.
"He can't move as fast as he used to, but his heart isn't ready to go. I know it's not," Kelly said. "He has a big heart for helping people, and I know that. It's going to be hard for him to let this go. And it's hard for me, too, to see that because he has such a big heart."
What's next:
Pete plans to spend a lot more time outdoors and at his cabin. He admits it will be hard not to think about the career he dedicated his life to, which is why he said it’s likely he’ll still come by the fire station and visit.
Now that he is officially retired, he is a part of Rosemount Elite, a group of retired firefighters who meet once a month for breakfast.