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o�SpU TH 8�4 <br /> � d <br /> ti <br /> U d <br /> W PEACH; <br /> le <br /> 1865 <br /> Office of the Mayor <br /> NEWS RELEASE <br /> April 10, 2007 <br /> 12 p.m. <br /> Mayor Luecke, Firefighters Salute Chief Luther Taylor <br /> Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 <br /> From being a tillerman responsible for steering the rear of a ladder truck to implementing changes <br /> that brought the South Bend Fire Department into the 21" century as one of Indiana's best- <br /> regarded fire programs, Chief Luther J. Taylor Sr. has given his best. <br /> Taylor, the longest serving fire chief in South Bend's history, officially retires April 16 after 34 <br /> years and 6 months of service, including the last 21 years as chief. <br /> "Chief Taylor made the city a better place and certainly made the fire department a better place," <br /> said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "During his tenure, Chief Taylor has provided strong leadership, <br /> upgrading equipment, facilities and training. He has made this department one of the premiere <br /> forces in the state of Indiana and the nation." <br /> The Central Fire Station, 1222 S. Michigan St., was one of four major facilities built during <br /> Taylor's tenure along with Fire Station No. 10 in 1999 at 5303 York Road, and Fire Station No. 2, <br /> which is expected to be completed in July and 402 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive (at Lincolnway <br /> West). (He also oversaw the renovation of Fire Station No. 7, 616 Portage Ave., and the <br /> construction of a nine-bay storage facility.) <br /> Taylor, named South Bend's first African-American fire chief on Oct. 25, 1985, has served under <br /> three mayors and with five police chiefs. During his tenure, the South Bend Fire Department grew <br /> from 211 to 248 sworn firefighters. Taylor has personally recommended the promotion of 21 <br /> chiefs, while overseeing an annual budget of$23 million. <br /> Taylor's work at firefighter training, facilities improvement and special operations made him a <br /> natural choice when Gov. Joe Keman needed an executive director for the State Emergency <br /> Management Agency in 2004. Taylor took a leave of absence to serve from April through <br /> December of 2004. <br /> -more- <br />