GREENVILLE — Family members, fellow firefighters, city officials and friends gathered Wednesday at the Greenville Fire Department to honor Capt. Kevin Subler as he retired after 26 years of service protecting Greenville and surrounding communities.
The retirement celebration marked the end of a career defined by leadership, mentorship and dedication to public service.
“It’s bittersweet,” Greenville Safety-Service Director Ryan Delk said. “Everybody always wants to be able to retire and enjoy their life and their family, but it’s bittersweet because then you have to replace them and you lose 26 years of knowledge there. They have a good system over here at the fire department. They keep everyone trained and on the same path, and somebody will step up. We wish him well. It’s very deserving.”
While the department celebrates Subler’s retirement, Greenville Fire Chief Russ Thompson acknowledged the challenge of replacing a veteran leader.
“That’s 26 years of experience and leadership that we’re losing,” Thompson said. “We already went through the promotional process. We are promoting Lt. Wayne Breuning to captain next week. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing promotional processes for lieutenant because of the vacancies.”
Thompson and Subler began their careers together and advanced through the ranks side by side.
“We came up together as firefighters,” Thompson said. “We were promoted together to lieutenant and then captain. He’s been a great mentor to our younger generation. He’s been a great friend to me for my entire career. I will miss him tremendously, but we’ll still get together and get on the golf course like we always have.”
The chief was pleased to see the large turnout for the retirement celebration.
“It’s a really good turnout,” Thompson said. “It just goes to show you how much respect people have for him.”
Subler admitted he was overwhelmed by the support.
“I’m blessed beyond words to have these people in my life,” he said. “They mean the world to me. The job has been wonderful, but the people in the job have made it what it is. I couldn’t be happier. These guys are awesome. I’m glad they all came.”
Although eligible to continue serving, Subler said he wanted to retire while he was still healthy.
“Everybody wants to get there,” he said. “The hardest part is that I know I could keep doing this. I love working in Greenville. The good thing is I’m still young and healthy. I don’t want to be backed into a corner where I have to retire because I have to retire. I want to go out on top like I’m doing today and feel good about what I’ve done here.”
He considers himself fortunate to leave the profession in good health.
“Not everybody makes it out these doors young and healthy,” Subler said. “I’m blessed beyond measure. But it is bittersweet because I won’t get to be around these friendships every day.”
Reflecting on his career, Subler said the people he worked beside shaped both his career and his character.
“For 26 years, these guys helped shape who I am and helped me realize who I want to be,” he said.
Subler joined the department as a firefighter before being promoted to lieutenant in 2010, when the department added lieutenant positions, and later earned the rank of captain.
As he leaves, he expressed complete confidence in the department’s future.
“I have no doubt in my mind walking out right now that if something happened in the city, it would be just fine,” Subler said. “The people who are here now don’t need me. These guys are so good and so well-trained they’ll operate flawlessly on the fireground. I consider that to be one of the greatest things this place does — getting people ready for the next step and taking care of business.”
Subler also praised the Greenville community for its continued support of the department.
“Greenville is not a big city,” he said. “Everybody out there is my boss. I swore an oath to do my job for them, and they have always been grateful and gracious. This town is wonderful.”
Although he has been a lifelong resident of Versailles, Subler said Greenville will always hold a special place in his heart.
“I’m not from here, but this will always be my home,” he said. “I will always consider the Greenville Fire Department my home, no matter what happens or where I go in life. My home is in this place. Not just a building, not just a town — these people.”
Subler plans to remain in the fire service. He has accepted a position as Fire Academy Coordinator at Sinclair College and will begin his new role next week. He will also continue volunteering with the Versailles Fire Department.
“I’ve been hired as the Fire Academy Coordinator at Sinclair,” Subler said. “Leaving here tomorrow morning at shift change will be tough, but I’ll start at Sinclair next week.”
Throughout his remarks, Subler repeatedly credited his family for supporting his career.
“My family — without them I couldn’t do any of it,” he said. “My wife doesn’t know what it’s like to have a husband home every day. My kids haven’t had their dad home every day. We knew it when we signed up.”
He noted that firefighters and their families all make sacrifices.
“There’s not a person here, retired or working, who didn’t make the same sacrifices I have made,” Subler said. “But when it gets to your own family, when you get to go home every night and say, ‘Dad’s home,’ that’s special.”
Looking back on more than two decades in the fire service, Subler encouraged young people to pursue the profession.
“This is the greatest job in the world,” he said. “The sacrifices that come with it are real. There’s a high divorce rate in public service, but if you can fight through the hard times, you’ll still have the greatest job in the world. I’d encourage everybody to do it if you have a heart of service.”
He said nothing compares to helping others during their greatest time of need.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Subler said. “There’s no greater reward at the end of the day. Whether we save a little baby, save somebody’s cat or pull out a couple of dogs, there’s no greater reward than helping people and having them look you in the eye with tears and say, ‘Thank you.'”
