Longtime Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey retiring June 30

TECUMSEH — The days of Joe Tuckey having to drop whatever he's doing at a moment's notice to respond to a structure fire or other emergency are about to be over.

Tuckey is retiring after 37 years with the Tecumseh Fire Department, the last 30 as fire chief. His official retirement date is June 30.

Tuckey began his work with the Tecumseh Fire Department in June 1986, serving first as a paid-on-call firefighter until March 1990, when he was hired by the city as a full-time firefighter/driver. In 1993, he was appointed fire chief.

“I watched Chief Tuckey grow in his position and he certainly played a major role in making the department what it is today. His leadership skills are second to none,” Mayor Jack Baker said.

Tuckey was born and raised in Tecumseh and attended Tecumseh High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1981 and served for four years. He served aboard the aircraft carrier USS America for three years as a mess management specialist working mainly in the officers’ mess in various roles. 

“My first firefighting experience started in the Navy because all recruits were required to go through fire training,” Tuckey said. “Once on the ship, I was assigned to various damage control parties and continued to learn about fighting fires onboard the ship.”

Tuckey has always worked in his family business, starting at age 12, washing dishes and bussing tables on weekends at the Big Boy restaurant in Ypsilanti. When his father, Gene, opened the Big Boy in Tecumseh in 1977, he went to work there as a cook and worked there until his enlistment.

“I enjoy the restaurant business a lot. It’s always good to see the regular customers come in, and we have made some really good friends through the business — both customers and employees,” Tuckey said.    

Upon discharge from the Navy, he went back to work in the family business at the family's restaurant in Brooklyn. He left there in 1990 when he took the full-time job with the fire department and his wife, Sherri, took over. The family just owns the Tecumseh Big Boy now.

“My wife and I along with my brother and his wife are the current owners of the Big Boy in Tecumseh and have been since my father passed away in 2008,” Tuckey said. “My wife, Sherri, is the only one of us that is currently working at the restaurant full time. I help out as she needs me around the store.” 

The fire department currently has three full-time employees and 19 paid-on-call staffers. The full-time employees work 24-hour shifts every third day, which equates to 24 hours on and 48 hours off. During his shifts, Tuckey takes care of administrative duties and works as a firefighter, attending to things like truck checks, station cleaning, equipment and responding to all emergency calls. 

“My philosophy as fire chief is to try to do the right thing even if it rocks the boat a little. In addition, watch out for your people and always give them credit for the work they do. They don’t do it for the money, they do it to give back to their community,” Tuckey said.

Brian Radant, a fire captain and mayor pro tem, said Tuckey has been a great manager.

“In my 21 years in the fire service, I have seen many firefighters come and go. For Chief Tuckey to be in the fire service for 37 years with 30 of those as fire chief years is something he should be proud of. Chief Tuckey has done a great job in keeping the fire department up to date on all of the changes over the years. Whether it is changes in county protocols or changes in NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards, he has made sure that the fire department is up to date with all of these changes,” Radant said. “He won’t have to leave dinner with his family when the tones go off for a structure fire anymore. I’m excited for him to enjoy his retirement with his family.”

Tuckey has served on several boards and committees, both within the fire service and in the community: the Communities Learning Connections board, city retirement board, Lenawee County Fire Chiefs Association and its executive board, Lenawee County Emergency 911 District board and the Emergent Partners Quality Committee to name a few.

“Chief Tuckey has been an extremely dedicated and committed city employee, who has not only served the city in his role as fire chief, but also gave back to the community,” city manager Dan Swallow said. “In addition to his regular duties as chief, he always made time for public safety presentations and providing information to the community on how to keep themselves safe. He frequently made himself available to give presentations to local service organizations or in the schools.”

He's even found time to rekindle a musical hobby. Tuckey has played drums since grade school, but stopped playing after high school and did not really pick it up again until 25 years later when he was asked to join the TCA Big Band & VocalAires. He later joined the Jim Rice Group and has been playing with them for about 12 years. He has been playing for the TCA Big Band & VocalAires for 17 years now.

“The reason I enjoy playing music so much is it provides a stress relief for me and helps me to relax,” Tuckey said. “I enjoy the feeling of the group coming together and being so tight that the music just flows.”

So why is Tuckey retiring now?

“I would just have to say I am turning 62 this year and while I am still able to do a majority of the work necessary for this job, it is getting harder to do the physical aspects of the job as I age,” Tuckey said. “My plans for retirement are yet to be determined. I will spend the summer hanging out with my family and friends and see what happens in the fall. I still want to work, but just not full time, so I am keeping my options open for now.”

Tuckey has been married to Sherri, his wife and best friend, for 41 years. They have a daughter, Erin, and a son, Joseph. The couple has one granddaughter named Olivia and their soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Allison.

Tuckey’s last workday will be June 14, but his official retirement day is June 30.

Current assistant fire chief Scot Long will be taking over for Tuckey. Long has been with the Tecumseh Fire Department for 31 years, 27 of which have been as a full-time firefighter. Long started his career with the Tecumseh Fire Department in 1991. He was promoted to lieutenant in a couple of years and held a few different positions within the fire department before reaching the rank of first assistant chief and has held that title for approximately 20 years. 

“Chief Tuckey has done a great job of maintaining an effective fire department in an environment that is getting increasingly difficult to navigate with the requirements put on paid-on-call staff,” Long said.

More: Tecumseh Assistant Fire Chief Scot Long taking over as Fire Chief Joseph Tuckey retires

Tuckey started training Long in March following Long’s appointment by city council. He will continue to work with him up until his last workday.

“Scot is one of the best fire tactics guys I know. He will have no problem making the adjustment from assistant chief to fire chief. Scot also spent five months doing the fire chief job in 2015 while I was serving as the acting city manager,” Tuckey said.

Tuckey has nothing but gratitude for his time with the fire department.

“I would like to thank all the men and women I have served with in the Tecumseh Fire Department and those I worked with all around the county. It has been an honor and privilege to serve this community and to offer those in need a helping hand when I could,” Tuckey said. “It has been my honor to work with several city councils and with some outstanding city managers and the absolute best co-workers within our city departments.”

Sherri Tuckey and the fire staff will be hosting an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. June 30 at the fire station at 101 E. Russell Road for anyone in the community who would like to attend.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Longtime Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey retiring June 30