A long-time Petrolia resident is looking back on his 50 years within fire services.
The Petrolia & North Enniskillen Fire Department congratulated Ken Henry on his milestone over social media this week.
"What an accomplishment, what a guy! We are all extremely proud to serve alongside you," read the post.
Henry, who was born in Sarnia, spent most of his life in Petrolia and was approached in October of 1971 to join the fire department. He previously worked at Dow and in construction.
"When I was working at the service station, the fire chief from town wanted to know if I would be interested in joining the fire department," he said. "That was it. There was no application or nothing."
The hiring process isn't the only thing that has changed over the years. Henry said the equipment is much better now compared to when he first started as a firefighter.
"When I started, we were at a house or building and we just used ladders. Now, we have a 110 foot aerial platform truck," he said. "When I started, all we had was the fishermen's hip boots and a heavy rubber coat, that was it. Today, now you have all the protective bunker gear."
Henry said looking back at his five decades of experience, the most memorable incidents for him were the Town Hall fire and a fire at the Fairbanks House.
"You hate to lose something like that," he said in regards to the historic Fairbanks House.
The local firefighter said he has made many friends through the fire department over the years but he also appreciated the work done by members of council.
"The Petrolia and Enniskillen councils over the years, they supported us fully in any equipment and whatnot we needed. We all had some in-depth discussions but in the long run, we all got our equipment," he said.
Henry officially marked 50 years as a firefighter on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021.