Town Officials, members of the Fire and Police Departments and guests gathered at the Public Safety Building to say farewell to retiring Fire Chief of Operations Mike O'Reilly.

Appointed to the Brookline Fire Department, O'Reilly began his career at Station 5 on Babcock Street on October 27, 1980. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1989 and served at Station 5 as well as the Fire Prevention Division until he was promoted to Captain and served as the Administrative Officer to the Chief as well as the House Captain at Station 4 in Chestnut Hill. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2007 and served as the Group 3 Commander and then upon his promotion to Chief of Operations in 2008, he moved back to Headquarters until his retirement.

O'Reilly served as the Fire Department Medical Officer for a period of time as well as the Fire Liason Officer for the Emergency Management Team. He was instrumental in providing the Firefighters with the best equipment and training possible and was an advocate for all Firefighters from the newest probationary member to the most senior members of the Department.

Outside of Firefighting, O'Reilly is very active in his community. He enjoys coaching Little League and has been a fundraiser for youth sports. He once headed the medical team for the Special Olympics with retired Firefighter Steve Worton and many members volunteered their off duty time to serve with them. He is also a passionate photographer and loves to experiment with new technology.

The Town of Brookline will miss Chief O'Reilly, and everyone present today wished him the best for a happy and healthy retirement.