Salt Lake firefighter retiring after 40 years on the job

For as long as anyone can remember, Denny McKone has filled out the roster for the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

Add one name here, and later delete another when someone leaves.

Four decades — 40 years worth of firefighters who have come and gone.

This month, McKone deleted his own name and added that of his replacement, incoming Chief Tom Shannon. He marks the end of an era today, and the start of another — the post-McKone era — with his retirement.

"I wouldn't change anything I've done," said McKone, 64, who has served as chief for 15 months and has served under eight chiefs.

There is nobody within the department who was there before McKone, and he's been present for the hiring of every current department member.

"I may not miss a lot of things, but I am going to miss all my kids I've worked with in the department. And I'm the senior guy on the roster, so every one of them are my kids," he said. And to them, he is their father figure.

The most common place to find McKone is in a fire station, coffee mug in hand, sitting down and talking with his employees, finding out what he's doing right and what can be improved.

That career, however, almost didn't happen.

McKone's first official day as a Salt Lake firefighter was Aug. 1, 1968 — a day not hard to remember because it was also his wedding day. The West High graduate had recently returned to Utah from the U.S. Naval Academy when he took the test to become a firefighter. His uncle and older brother were both firefighters.

"Pretty much all my life I had wanted to be on the Salt Lake City Fire Department because of my uncle," he said.

But when it came time to be hired, McKone informed the city he couldn't start on Aug. 1.

"I said, 'Well, my marriage plans have been set for six months now,'" he told the chief. "So I go up to walk out, and he said, 'Young man, sit back down in the seat!'"

The department arranged it so McKone would start his shift a different day — and have a week to honeymoon before he had to show up.