Minneapolis Fire Chief Bryan Tyner has announced he will retire at the end of the year.
"You know it feels good," he says. "It's starting to feel real to me, you know. I've known I was gonna leave at the end of this year for a while now, but it really didn't hit me until just recently."
Tyner's last day as chief will be December 31 but his life will not be slowing down much as he takes over as executive director of the Minneapolis Phyllis Wheatley Community Center.
"It's just not in my DNA, I think. I'm old in fire department years," Tyner explained to WCCO Radio. "I'm 58, but I still feel young enough that I'm not ready to just sit at home and go play golf yet. So, I'll fit some golf in, certainly, and a little bit of fishing, but I still got a lot of energy in me and I feel like I still have something to contribute."
Tyner has a strong connection to this century-old institution. He spent his childhood attending the center, and years later, his children also benefited from this North Minneapolis landmark.
"The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center is a place where I spend a lot of time as a youth," Tyner explains. "I sent my own kids to the Mary T. Wellcome Daycare. So I feel like I have a lot of connection to the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center."
Chief Bryan Tyner is a 25-year veteran of the department. He was appointed to the position of Fire Chief in December 2020. Tyner says he has many fond memories of being with the fire department, and will miss the people the most.