Fireman Phil hangs up his helmet

“He’s been the leading authority on fire protection for the town, and a lot of times the county,” volunteer firefighter Thomas Shifflett said. “There are a lot of people that looked at Phil for guidance, that’s something you just don’t replace, but at the same time, we will be OK because as a leader and who Phil is. He’s put us in that position, (by training) the right people to make sure that whenever he’s gone that we’ll be OK. … He’s had that foresight.”

Shifflett said Rickabaugh has probably had a different experience as a firefighter here than in other places, because here he is “Fireman Phil.”

“He’s never not ‘Fireman Phil,’” he said. Shifflett described Rickabaugh, with his handlebar mustache and a Dalmatian by his side, as having lived the life of a firefighter. “... It doesn’t matter if somebody sees him at Walmart, doesn’t matter if he’s at a little kid’s T-ball game, he’s Fireman Phil, and it takes someone special to be that person, and he was that guy. That’s awesome.”

Lt. Jace Pine, 26, who will take over as interim chief during the city’s search for a new chief, agreed, stating that Rickabaugh has really embraced the lifestyle, and that because of it, the department is where it is today.

“When you have a volunteer or a combination department with a primary volunteer workforce it really had to become his lifestyle for 38 years,” he said. “Because while you have the administrative stuff to do during the day, you also have to be there in the evenings. Because that’s when the volunteers are available for training or if we’re (giving) building tours or whatever it might be.”

Pine said that it’s hard to say it’s a huge loss, because Rickabaugh has told them he is only a phone call away — but it will be one nonetheless.

“He’s got an awful lot of institutional knowledge about the city,” Pine said. “Not only the fire department and the quirks of the trucks and how this operates and what we do every summer and those different things, but also, you know, all the infrastructure in the city and the … buildings and the growth, and where this access point is in that nursing home and how to run the sprinkler system. There’s a lot of knowledge there, and while it can be put on paper, not a lot has been. He’s assured us he’s only a phone call away, that’s a big deal in our response today and definitely something we’re gonna miss.”

Pine said that Rickabaugh has seen the department through a lot of things during his nearly 40-year stint leading the department. From a few big fires and a lot of gruesome accidents to a lot of growth, moving from the old building to the new one on Vine Street and now operating under a separate command structure in the city.

Shifflett said Rickabaugh has always gone to great lengths to make sure the crews were safe, but also took time to make sure they were doing well in their lives.

“It’s amazing how much he cared about all of us,” he said, further explaining that Rickabaugh’s caring nature stood out to him when compared to other locations he’s worked. “You always knew and felt as though you mattered and you were one of the most important people. It didn’t matter who you were …. You felt important (and) that he wanted you to go home and be safe.”

Without specifically reading any, Shifflett described the great care Rickabaugh used when sending out texts with all the right words when something good happened in his life, or if in celebration of a good job done during an event.

“He would let you know and he would send you a text in Phil’s way and just word everything,” Shifflett said. “He was a wordsmith when it came to doing stuff like that and making you feel good. … You don’t get that in a lot of jobs.”

Shifflett said he wasn’t really surprised at the announcement because Rickabaugh is in his sixties.

“He’s got grandkids now and he deserves, with all the work that he’s put in, he deserves to be able to retire and have fun,” Shifflett said. “Have fun with Carla. Have fun seeing his grandkids. Have fun traveling and just finally get to enjoy life. … I just hope that he finds all the happiness and gets to have some fun finally. That’s wonderful.”

Shifflett said Rickabaugh is special to all of the firefighters, noting again how hard he worked to make sure they are the best they can be.

“So on June 1st when he retires, we want him to know that he’s left us better than he came here and that we can take it from here because of what he did for us,” Shifflett said.

Pine will take over on June 1, leading the department. He said the estimate is for anywhere between one and three months for the search process.

“Phil has set us up in a really good way where we can move forward in regular operations from where we’re at right now,” he said. “I don’t foresee any major changes between now and then.”

Changes in firefighting

Spending nearly 40 years in one field, Rickabaugh said he has seen significant changes in not only firefighting equipment and safety gear, but also in how we construct and fill our homes.

With the addition of more plastics in furniture that used to be heavy wood, he said what might have allowed five minutes to allow someone to escape a house fire is down to two minutes in many cases now.

With flashover helped along by open floor plans and lightweight construction materials and plastic house furnishings, fire spreads rapidly. Thankfully, he said the technology to combat fires is also dramatically evolving.

“Back when I started you were issued a coat that was made out of canvas,” Rickabaugh said. “Canvas duck, it was called, and a plastic fire helmet and a pair of, what we called, three-quarter rubber boots. Not much protection at all. So today, you know, our protective gear is so advanced.”

He said the protective gear has really become necessary when fighting fires longer, but the new trucks have been a major game changer.

The technology is so advanced that comparing the department’s new ladder truck to what the city had before it, he said was like comparing a vehicle today to a Model T.

“I’m proud of our department,” Rickabaugh said. “And I’m proud of our community that has always supported the fire department. I mean we’re sitting in this brand new station right now and that’s because the taxpayers supported that. We have that brand new truck out there because the taxpayers saw the needs and supported them.”

Fresh young ideas

Rickabaugh said the fire department is young with around 75 percent of them under the age of 30. Rickabaugh said the department could use more volunteers. He noted that there used to be a waiting list, but now with people’s busy lives, it’s harder and harder to find enough people available to show up at fires.

Leading the current volunteers in the interim will be Lt. Pine. Rickabaugh has no doubts about his capabilities as a leader.

“I tell you, that kid is an exception to the 26-year-old rule,” he said. “He’s an old man, very, very, very intelligent.”

With the respect of the crews, Rickabaugh believes Pine will do just fine until a permanent chief is named.

“That’s important,” he said. “That makes me feel at ease. … I’ve always been told that ‘you’ll know when it’s time,’ and that kind of helped me.”

Rickabaugh said that knowing the department is in a good place helped him make the decision to retire, or “the old dog to leave,” as he put it. He said it’s time for him to go, saying he’s not as sharp as he used to be and that he’s recognized it.

“This is a dangerous field, but also, it’s the best job in the world,” Rickabaugh said. “It’s very, very rewarding. … I’ll miss this place.”

He knows he will miss the camaraderie.

“These guys and gals are my family,” Rickabaugh said, noting that while he’ll be able to stop in for a cup of coffee, it will not be the same. “It’s just, it’s all I’ve ever known.”

Future plans

Rickabaugh said his immediate future plans involve doing nothing for a while, though he doesn’t think it will last and foresees burning up Interstate 70 or the Amtrak rails to visit family in St. Louis.

He also plans to do a little tinkering in his shop.

One thing Rickabaugh is looking forward to is no more middle-of-the-night callouts.

“This is definitely a young person’s job,” he said. Reminiscing a bit, he said there isn’t one thing alone that stands out during his career, from starting as a fireman in the Navy to now, he said, “I’ll never forget this.”

He briefly recalled a multiple fatality fire at Carson Apartments that stands out as one of the tragedies he and other firefighters experienced, but Rickabaugh is quick to express his thankfulness that his department has not suffered any deaths or severe injuries.

He said it’s always been important to make sure “our guys and gals” are taken care of, because the job can be a difficult one.

“There’s gonna be bad days … I’ve seen things that most people shouldn’t have to see, but again, that’s what we signed up for and it does take a toll on you,” Rickabaugh said. “Just that aspect of it, I think it does. We don’t want to admit it. You’d like to say you get immune to that. I don’t think you ever get immune to that kinda stuff.”

He said their group is very tight and really talk to each other and offer that peer support, which helps when they see some of the things they do. If someone is not handling something he or she can reach out and they will find more help.

“I don’t think the general public realizes how much time that gets put in,” Rickabaugh said. “Just running calls, some of those calls are just little piddly things, but it still takes time and somebody’s gotta do it, you know? Sometimes we may be out for hours, sometimes an hour or just 10 minutes.”

He said it can take a toll on families. He knows it has on his.

“Especially my wife,” Rickabaugh said. “I mean, she puts up with a lot. Not only my wife, but all these guys’ significant others. It takes a lot out on a family, for your loved one to get up and leave in the middle of a birthday party, or they’re just gone a lot.”

Rickabaugh’s wife Carla said she’s definitely ready to have him home. The overnight callouts didn’t bother her as much as the ones where she was awake and worrying not only about him, but the crew.

“I remember some major fires,” she said. “You know, he’s not gone just one day, or a few hours. It takes days.”

Carla further explained that she wouldn’t see him much during those times, or when he was out storm-spotting. Once, she was left in a grocery store with a cart full of groceries and had to call her daughter to help. He’s had to leave family dinners and events to run to calls.

“I understood it,” she said. “I knew it was his job and I tried to support him. … I am ready to have him home ... I’m just so proud of him.”

A retirement reception for Rickabaugh is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 2, in the fire bays at the R. Keith Wood Public Safety Facility. The city has invited all family, friends, coworkers and well-wishers to attend.