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Fire Dept. officers to be honored

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By Sandy Morris

After years of fighting fires, a pair of Albany firefighters have decided to hang up their gear, with a retirement reception set for this Sunday, April 11.

Kyle and Shawnee Tischler have served the Albany Volunteer Fire Department for a combined 50 years and have recently announced their plans to retire from the department.

Kyle, who has served as chief for a total of over 13 years, has been a firefighter his entire adult life.

“It’s who I am,” he said. “It’s what I know. I’ve been doing this since high school.”

Tischler’s wife Shawnee, who is the first female to serve as captain in the Albany organization, has been with the department for 18 years and joins with her husband in the decision to step down.

“It’s time to let these young guys come in and make their mark,” said Kyle Tischler. “We are ready to focus on our place and spend time visiting our kids.” 

Even though the pair won’t be involved in the day-to-day duties, they still plan to be available to help when needed.

“I’ll help transition as long as they need me to,” said Tischler. “We both plan to be a part of the department and help when we are needed.”

Tischler said he feels good about the future of Albany VFD.

“I’m really satisfied with the abilities of these guys and gals,” he said. “The department will be in really good hands.”

A come and go retirement reception to honor the Tischlers will be held from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. this coming Sunday afternoon at the Aztec Theater.