A long time Paola firefighter is calling it a day, and a career. Joe Flake is proud of his hometown and the legacy he is leaving at the Paola Fire Department as he heads into retirement. Growing up in Paola and graduating from Paola High in 1972, he never considered being a firefighter until 1982, when a friend convinced him to volunteer for the Paola Fire Department. Little did he know the firefighting fever would overcome him. Flake says the Paola volunteers are well trained and he would put the department up against any paid department.
A few fires stick out in Flake’s memory. In December 1983, firefighters battled the bitter cold while fighting the Hadlock Cabinet fire next to the Paola Free Library. Flake says people were running out of the library with armfuls of books to save them. Just 10 days later, Paola firefighters responded to the Coker Building fire on the northwest corner of Park Square. Flames were fueled by the gas tank of a ford mustang in the basement.
The last fire Flake responded to before his recent retirement was a house fire north of Louisburg on the morning of December 27th. Flake says he’s ready for retirement, but…he’ll miss it, because, as he says… you won’t find a more rewarding job.
