Dalton Fire Department Chief Bruce Satterfield will retire on April 28, according to a letter he wrote to Dalton Public Safety Commission Chairman Bill Weaver.
Satterfield informed his firefighters in person at a series of shift meetings at Dalton's fire stations, according to a news release.
Satterfield, who joined the Dalton Fire Department in March 1980, served under four previous fire chiefs before being promoted to chief himself in February 2009.
In his retirement letter, Chief Satterfield said he is "proud to have served with the outstanding, highly skilled and highly qualified group of firefighters at the Dalton Fire Department."
The Dalton Public Safety Commission will begin a search for his successor soon, the release states.