OH Chief Retires after More Than Four Decades

June 01 -- A lot of dads miss the birth of a child because of work. Steve Hein was there because of work.

His wife called him and told him she needed him home immediately. He drove home, and found his wife giving birth to their son. He called for paramedics, which included some of the people he had just been working with, and delivered his son alongside his teammates.

Hein, the Truro Township Fire Department chief, remembers that call as the most memorable moment in his 43-year career, which ended Friday with an open house at the fire station.

That child, now-34-year-old Stephen Hein, said it's weird to see his father retire.

"It's odd to see that chapter close in his life," he said. "We're proud of everything he's done."

The elder Hein, 61, said he believes he left the fire department in better shape than he found it. Under his supervision, Truro Township Station 161 was demolished and the replacement is under construction. He pushed for a focus on safety.

The biggest change in his career, he said, was in the number of calls the department, which also serves the city of Reynoldsburg, got in a day. In the 1970s, calls came about 2-3 times a day. Now they come more than 20 times a day.

Current Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Sharps will replace Hein.

"That's a lot of experience going out the door," Sharps said. "We're going to miss him.

"He's really instilled in me that patience goes a long way."

While state Reps. Richard Brown and Anne Gonzalez thanked Hein for his years of service, Hein's grandchildren ran around the station's garage Friday.

Hein plans to spend more time with those kids in retirement, along with golf and fishing.

"I really enjoy what I do," Hein said of his just-finished career. "I enjoy the people and some of the challenges."

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