Audio: N.J. Battalion Chiefs Leave Blaze as Midnight Struck

Oct. 2, 2014
The two veterans officially retired Oct. 1 in the midst of a three-alarmer.

Two Atlantic City battalion chiefs took off their gear and walked away as a multi-alarm blaze raged early Wednesday.

They weren't hurt. But, they had no choice.

Battalion Chief Robert Macready and Kevin Bennett strode into retirement as planned on Oct. 1, according to The Press of Atlantic City. 

They responded to the three-alarm fire that ripped through four buildings late on Sept. 30, But when the clock struck midnight, their careers were over. 

Macready, the incident commander, handed over his duties to Deputy Chief Vincent Granese, ending a 40-year career.

“He came to the department in 1973,” Chief Dennis Brooks told reporters. “He kind of went out the way he went in.”

It’s the way every firefighter wants to end their career — doing their job — Brooks said.

Bennett, a 31-year-veteran, also turned over his command as the new month started.

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