Shaun Coffey, chief of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, announced Friday that he plans to retire at the end of this year.
Coffey leaves a 36-year career with the department. He was appointed interim chief in 2018 and selected as chief in 2019.
“It has been an honor to serve the community and this department,” Coffey said in a city news release.
“The work we’ve done over the past few years, including the new Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and Lawrence Strategic Plan will help guide us for years to come. The membership in this department represents a tremendous amount of collective expertise and I trust completely that they will continue our legacy of keeping Lawrence and Douglas County safe and secure.”
City Manager Craig Owens will announce an interim chief before the end of the year. The city will seek out a firm to lead the recruitment process beginning in January 2022.
Owens said in the release that it’s’ hard to imagine how many people have benefited and how many lives were saved as a result of Coffey’s career.
“While his technical and management skills are exemplary, I think his honesty, integrity, personability and humor will be missed the most,” Owens said. “We all think highly of Shaun. He will be missed, and we wish him the best.”
