After 40 years of fighting fires, Dennis Braun still is not ready to stop.
Braun, chief of the Osage Fire Protection District, is in his 40th year with the district and his 19th year as chief.
Braun said when he was a child, one of his neighbor's houses burned down. Years later, after he got married, he said it was time to join the fire protection district.
"I've been here ever since," Braun said.
When asked if he had a favorite memory from his career so far, Braun said it's hard to choose because he enjoys every part of his job.
"It's kind of an enjoyment to do it all," Braun said. "It's been all good memories."
And Braun is hardly the only one in his family who enjoys fighting fires. Two of Braun's three sons serve under him at the district and Braun's brother, Donnie, is chief of the Cole County Fire Protection District, also in his 40th year.
"My youngest one, he didn't want nothing to do with it," Braun said with a laugh.
He said he loves being able to work with two of his sons, noting that when he became chief he made a vow that he would never treat them with any favoritism and he feels he has fulfilled that. In fact, he said, some members of his staff would say his sons get treated worse than anyone else.
"It's no favoritism, it's like a business," Braun said.
Braun said he has enjoyed being able to work with some of the same staff members for nearly 30 years, making coming to work an even more enjoyable experience.
"It's just been fun," Braun said.
Of course, not all of it is fun. One of the most recent fires he had to deal with was at Rainbow Lanes Bowling Alley and Hooks Sports Bar on Mari Osa Delta Lane, near the Osage River. A popular Central Missouri spot, the business was destroyed by an early morning fire last week.
But though Braun has seen many tragedies occur in his work, he chooses to focus on the good more than the bad.
"I've seen a lot of bad stuff happen in the community and I've seen a lot of good stuff come out of it," Braun said. "It's got its ups and downs ... but we enjoy trying to help the community out and be there for them in their need."
Braun said he has no plans to slow down quite yet, but he'll think about retirement when it starts to feel right.