Wausau Fire Chief Tracey Kujawa ando other city leaders break ground for a new fire station on Wausau's west side. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau Fire Chief Tracey Kujawa says her last day with the department will be April 1st, adding she never planned to stay in Wausau for more than five years but with the forward momentum in the community it was hard to step away.
“I still really enjoy coming to work every day,” said Kujawa. “But, I think the biggest thing is to try to gauge retirement when you can go out on a good note.”
She says the timing of the decision has been an ongoing conversation between her and her husband, and they both agreed that the timing of the move felt right. “We thought this was a good thing for not only the Fire Department but the community. We’re moving in a great direction.”
Kujawa was one of the first female firefighters in the history of the Stevens Point department, where she worked her way up to Chief. She then moved on to Wausau, where she’s served for the last seven years.
All told she’s been in the firefighting business for nearly 30 years, so she admits that giving up the pager will be difficult. “You’re waiting for the next alarm to go off, for someone to tell you to come in. So it’s going to be a whole different environment [not] working on weekends or late-night.
“It’ll be a chance, and I’m a little bit nervous about that change. But, I’m also looking forward to the challenge of it,” she added.
That includes picking up hobbies that she hasn’t had time for recently and looking for ways to volunteer in the community. Kujawa says she won’t seek any further employment immediately following April 1st, but she also isn’t ruling out the possibility of taking another job.
Kujawa says she and her husband plan to stay in Central Wisconsin and enjoy more time with their adult children and grandchildren. Wausau’s Police and Fire Commission met early Monday morning to begin the search for a new Fire Chief.
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