SAFD Retirement & Promotion Ceremony

The San Angelo Fire Department will celebrate the retirement of two veteran firefighters and the promotions of six others at a ceremony Thursday afternoon at Fire Station No. 5
The ceremony will be from 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Fire Station No. 5 is at 3351 TLC Way.

 The SAFD will honor the longtime service of recent retirees Charles Crabtree and Sean McCallum. 

Crabtree, a driver, retired on July 5 after 33 years of service with the SAFD. He joined the department on July 1, 1980, and earned his promotion to driver on Nov. 15, 1982.

 Firefighter McCallum retired Sept. 3 after 22 years of service with the SAFD. He joined the department on March 16, 1991. 

Additionally, the SAFD will celebrate the promotions of a half-dozen firefighters within its ranks:

• Vernon Hancock was named assistant chief of administration, responsible for the department’s support services, on Sept. 1. Hancock joined the SAFD on March 16, 1991. He promoted to driver two years later and to lieutenant in April 2006. In 2008, he earned a promotion to captain.
• Matthew Ellison earned promotion to captain on May 1 of this year. Ellison joined the SAFD on Oct. 1, 1999. He was promoted to driver in March 2003 and to lieutenant in April 2006.
• Patrick Brody earned promotion to captain on Sept. 1 of this year. Brody joined the SAFD on March 1, 2001. He earned promotion to driver in October 2003 and to lieutenant in March 2010.
• Robert Wells earned promotion to lieutenant on May 1 of this year. Wells joined the SAFD on March 1, 2001. He was promoted to driver on New Year’s Day 2004.
• Geoffrey Childress earned promotion to lieutenant on Sept. 1 of this year. Childress joined the SAFD on March 1, 2001. He was promoted to driver in October 2003.
• Andrew McElroy earned promotion to lieutenant on Dec. 1, 2012. McElroy joined the SAFD on March 1, 2004. He was promoted to driver five years to the day later.

“It’s always special and gratifying whenever the department can honor the contributions of its own,” Fire Chief Brian Dunn said. “We thank Charles Crabtree and Sean McCallum for their combined 55 years of dedicated public service. And we look forward to the leadership our newly promoted officers will bring to the SAFD.