With tears, Newberry Fire Chief Joe Palmer announced his resignation Wednesday afternoon.

“This is sad and exciting,“ Palmer said.

Palmer is leaving the department to become the new executive director of the South Carolina Firemen's Association.

Palmer is currently the association's past president.

His new duties will begin Aug. 11 and will include formulating benefits packages, credit union membership, retirement and insurance for more than 16,000 firefighters in the state that represent more than 700 fire departments.

He will also lobbying regularly for firefighters at the Statehouse.

Palmer was hired by former city manager Al Harvey as fire chief in 1994 to replace retiring fire chief Lewis Lee. Palmer has served as chief for 14 years.

Previously, Palmer had been a member of the Greenwood Fire Department and a management trainer at the S.C. Fire Academy.

Palmer, the son of a Methodist minister, spent his middle and high school years in Newberry, and says that this will always be hometown.

Palmer remembers being hired and leading firefighters such as Mickey Johnson, who watched him grow up at Ebenezer Church. Now Johnson's son, Chris, is a volunteer with the department.

“I have no plans of moving,“ said Palmer, adding he will make the 30-minute commute to his new office in Columbia.

Palmer would also like to continue to serve as a volunteer firefighter, but says he will leave that decision up to the new chief. If not serving as a volunteer with the city fire department, Palmer says he would consider serving with another local fire department.

Palmer said as a young firefighter his dream job was to be fire chief. He held his dream job for 14 years and worked with many great people.

“I have enjoyed every minute of it,“ said Palmer. “I am proudest that no firefighters have been seriously injured during the 14 years I have been chief.“

When Palmer began his tour of duty with the city, the department had just moved from what is now the Firehouse Conference Center to the Nance Street station and then built a second station on Wilson Road.

Also, all the trucks at the department were purchased during that time, and training and equipment have continually changed along with a number of volunteers being added to the roster.

Palmer said the thing he will not miss is listening to the fire radio day and night and being concerned with the safety of his firefighters and the community.

He adds that this is a golden opportunity with new heads coming on board at the city department, Friendly Fire Department and as the county's emergency services coordinator for new bridges to be built and for the councils and boards to make changes.

City Manager Eric Budds said he regrets that Palmer resigned.

“He is a valued member of our management team