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http:// --> Weather Forecast --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Archive Backpage Business Classifieds Columnists Contact Us Forum Hot Topics Local Issues Most Viewed Nation & World Obituaries Online Games Opinion/Editorial O-Zone Photo Galleries Place an Ad Rate Card Readers Polls Revels Real Estate Guide Shakespeare Special Sections Sports Subscribe Valley & State Video Weather Etcetera --> Movie Preview --> Hottest Galleries: December 16, 2008 Hail to the chief By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Keith Woodley is retiring after 38 years in the fire service. His last day on the job as chief for Ashland Fire & Rescue is Dec. 26. He has been with the City of Ashland for almost 18 years. Denise Baratta | Daily Tidings As an 18-year-old, Keith Woodley thought becoming a volunteer firefighter was a crazy idea. After all, what kind of person would walk into a burning building while most rational people would run the other way? But one of Woodley's friends, who was the son of a small-town fire chief, convinced him to join the fire department. He was hooked. "It felt really like a valuable service," Woodley said. "It was essential and noteworthy because no one else could do it. Plus, there was some excitement for an 18-year-old." A few years later, he was hired as a paid firefighter. He has now served 38 straight years in fire service. His last day on the job as fire chief for Ashland Fire & Rescue is Dec. 26. He has been with the City of Ashland for almost 18 years. Early in his career, Woodley spent 11 years continuing his education while also working. He's earned degrees ranging from fire science to public administration. He was in the midst of his PhD exams when he made the choice to leave the program to join Ashland's fire department. Woodley has had plenty of excitement during his career. Once a chimney collapsed on his firefighting helmet. Another time, he was crawling through the second floor of a burning house when he crashed through to the first floor. Woodley escaped through a first floor window. But he said the most stressful time of his career came during the 1997 flood in Ashland, when floodwaters ripped through Lithia Park and the downtown Plaza. Firefighters were sandbagging in floodwaters without life vests or fast-water rescue training. If one had fallen in the water wearing firefighting clothing, he or she would have sank like a stone, Woodley said. "There's a saying in the fire service: 'You risk a little to save a little. You risk a lot to save a lot.' We risked a lot and what we were able to save was a little," he said. During his years in firefighting, Woodley said the biggest change is improved safety for firefighters. When he first started, there weren't enough firefighting coats to go around. Whoever reached one first got it, and everyone else went to fight a fire wearing their sweatshirts. They went into burning buildings without breathing apparatus. As for emergency medical care — the other side of a fire department's responsibilities ""paramedics have better equipment and training today and are able to save more lives, Woodley said. Ashland Division Chief Margueritte Hickman said Woodley has been a great leader and is respected throughout the fire service. His concern stretches past the city itself and includes the forested Ashland Watershed in the hills above town. Hickman said Woodley has worked to reduce fire danger in the watershed while also staying aware of its other values to the community. "It think it's fairly unique for a municipal fire chief to be as involved as Keith has been in watershed issues and issues affecting our community," she said. Retired fire chief Larry Langston, who has worked in Bend and Anchorage, Alaska, will serve as interim fire chief while the city of Ashland conducts a national search for a new fire chief. City officials hope to have the position filled by April. Woodley said Ashland's fire department faces challenges. Many firefighters can't afford to live in town, which can lead to a loss of contact with the community. The city also has financial problems which already have led to cuts in the fire department. Woodley credited his fellow firefighters with helping to create a high-quality department. "Everything we've accomplished is as a result of a team effort. The passing of a chief doesn't change that," he said. His wife, Kriss, has also stood by his side, waking up at 3 a.m. to hand him his keys when he rushes out on a fire, bringing sandwiches to firefighters on the job and handling the worry of being a fire chief's wife, Woodley said. Despite his busy schedule, he has managed to stay active in his church, which most recently helped Habitat for Humanity build a home in Central Point and cleaned up the Jefferson Nature Center in Phoenix. Woodley said he plans to do more activities with his church and spend time with his six children and 11 grandchildren, who are scattered across Western states. "They are anxious to see their father and grandfather more often," he said. Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 479-8199 or [email protected]. To post a comment, visit www.dailytidings.com . Advertisement: Advertisement: Partners: Security Cameras & Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2008 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Southern Oregon Media Group: Mail Tribune.com – Ashland Daily Tidings – Medford Nickel Del.icio.us