At 2 p.m. June 26, Fire Chief John J. O'Hayre stepped outside after his final day of service at North Metro Fire Rescue to find every on-duty fire fighter and every front line piece of apparatus standing at attention for his final inspection and a fitting farewell. O'Hayre began his career as a volunteer firefighter in1972 and became a paid career firefighter on January 17, 1977.

Over his thirty-seven year career, O'Hayre upheld the oath to serve and protect his community while rising through the ranks. He became a Lieutenant in 1983, the Deputy Chief in 1984 and completed his ascent to the position of Fire Chief in August, 1987-he has served as the leading officer and the visionary for the Fire District for 22 years.

O'Hayre began during a time when the Fire District only had one on-duty fire fighter at each of its fire stations. After dealing with the changes of a department moving from a combination career and volunteer workforce to a 100% career fire fighting force, he then went on to lead the organization through over two decades of growth and innovation.

In addition to the tremendous impacts he made for North Metro Fire Rescue District, Chief O'Hayre also made notable contributions to the advancement of the fire service on a regional, state-wide, and national basis. He was awarded the Governor's 3 rd Annual Colorado Fire Service Leadership Award by Governor Roy Romer on November 27, 1996. He has served as the past President of the Colorado State Fire Chief's Association, the Missouri Valley Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Homeland Security North Central Region for the State of Colorado.