Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department Driver William Murray will retire Friday after 37 years of service.
“I’ve enjoyed working with the men and women of this department,” Murray said, “but it’s time for me to turn the page.”
Murray began his career with MFRD in October 1977. He was promoted to Driver in August of 1990.
As for his most memorable call, it was his first fire call in which a City tanker truck caught fire. “I guess it stands out so well because it was my first call,” he said, “and it was a city-owned truck.”
When asked what had changed most during the span of his career with MFRD, Murray noted two things: “When I first started at the fire department, they were only hiring people that lived in the city limits, then they allowed people from the county. Now, we have people in our department from all over Tennessee.” He also mentioned the progression of medical services, “At the beginning of my career, we didn’t do any medical, then we became first responders in the early 2000’s. It hard to believe that we now provide basic life support services to the citizens and visitors of Murfreesboro.”
When asked what he loved the most about working for MFRD he said, “The greatest thing about working here, besides the people, is I got the chance to have a fulfilling career, while providing for my family.” Family is what he plans to focus on in retirement. “My grandbabies and I are going to do some traveling,” Murray said.
“It’s going to be sad to see him go, but he put in 37 good years,” said Chief Cumbey Gaines. “We are appreciative of the dedication that he provided to us during his career here and his passion for serving his community.”