With mixed emotions, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection on Monday accepted the retirement request from Paid on Call Assistant Chief Maggie Fajardo after 44 years of service.

Fajardo began his service with the Oakley Fire Protection District in 1967 and has held the ranks of lieutenant, training officer and captain. He was promoted to the rank of assistance chief after the formation of ECCFPD in 2003. Said Fire Chief Hugh Henderson, “Maggie has performed an outstanding job of handling the role of support services for the district, making sure that our day-to-day needs were handled in a timely manner. Maggie has always been available to all of us in the middle of the night, to make sure there were cold drinks and replacement air bottles.”