The Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical department said goodbye to its chief of nearly nine years.

Mark Nichols retired from the department Thursday, according to a tweet from the agency.

Mr. Nichols was hired to the agency in April 2011.

“During his tenure as Fire Chief, Mark Nichols has deftly navigated the challenges of running a fire district during one of the hardest hitting real estate recessions in history,” the department stated. “Since that time Chief Nichols has led Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical to the pinnacle of professionalism, with his signature dedication to firefighter safety, training and community out reach [sic].”

Mr. Nichols has served nearly 50 years in the fire industry. He began in 1972 as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service in Payson. In 1978, he joined the Glendale Fire Department. He rose through the ranks there until becoming a captain in 1993.

In 2001, he was promoted to battalion chief. A year later, he was assigned the EMS Division Chief.

In 2003, he was hired by Peoria to serve as their training chief.