After more than 35 years of service, local firefighter Manuel Peña retires

SHELLEY — One of the area’s longest-serving volunteer firefighters has retired.

Manuel Peña’s friends, family, fellow firefighters and emergency responders gathered at the Shelley-Firth Rural Fire Department’s fire station in Shelley Thursday night to wish him well in his retirement after more than 35 years of service as a volunteer firefighter.

“Manuel’s just an amazing man. I met him over 27 years ago and he has just been an amazing part of this community ever since,” Fire chief Randy Adams told Community Pioneer.

Adams said no one is sure how long Peña has served as a volunteer firefighter for the Shelley-Firth Rural Fire Department, not even Peña himself remembers exactly how long it’s been. But everyone is sure that it’s been more than 35 years.

“We’re going to miss him so much in this community,” Adams said.

At his retirement party Thursday night, Adams presented Peña with his old helmet that he wore out on calls and a golden fire ax engraved with “Manuel Peña, Shelley Firefighter, 35 plus years of service.”

“I’m going to miss it. I am gonna miss this place,” Peña said.

Peña said served for so long as a volunteer firefighter for so long because he loved it.

“I enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed doing it with all the friends I’ve got here. And I never wanted to move away. And I was only two blocks from (the fire station) all the time,” he said.

Adams said with Peña retiring the fire department is losing one of their most experienced firefighters. On top of that, he said there aren’t many volunteer firefighters in town during the day.

“We’re very short helped with daytime help in the community,” Adams said. “It’s going to be tough. When those tones went off, I always knew that Manuel and I would show up to a scene and be the two that get going.”

He said anyone can become a volunteer firefighter if they are willing to put in the six to eight months to complete the training. They also need to be able to leave their regular job when a call comes in.

“Anyone that would like to come over here can come over and join. We just meet every Thursday night at 7 at the fire station,” Adams said.

Peña had some advice for new volunteers.

“Listen to the people who have been here longer,” Peña said.