Fire chief John Crelly retires from Golden Valley Fire Department after 42 years.
Firefighters prepare for anything. Someone could be stuck in an elevator, suffering from cardiac arrest or trapped in a burning house. Most calls are medical, but there is a huge variety. For John Crelly, firefighting turned into a career spanning more than four decades.
Crelly joined the Golden Valley Fire Department in 1981 as a part-time paid on-call firefighter. He worked a few years for Honeywell until he was laid off in 1990. Crelly has served on the fire departments in New Hope, Maple Grove, Fridley, and Colombia Heights. About 10 years ago, he became chief of Golden Valley’s Fire Department. This year, he decided it was time to retire.
