TROY – Fire Chief Thomas O. Garrett notified the city Thursday he is retiring, a spokesman for Mayor Patrick Madden said.

Garrett has led the city fire department since 1996 and was involved in its expansion into providing ambulance service to city residents.

Garrett’s departure after Thursday, Jan. 17, comes 20 days before he would have become a management employee and had to negotiate his own employment contract. Under the new contract between the city and the Uniform Fire Chiefs Association, the post of fire chief would be removed from the union coverage as of Feb. 8.

Garrett would no longer receive overtime as guaranteed under the chiefs’ contract. The fire chief will in the same category as the police chief -- relying on an individual contract.

The fire chief’s budgeted base salary is $103,245 compared to $135,600 for Police Chief Brian Owens. In the past, overtime and other payments resulted in Garrett earning the same or more than the police chief. Garrett earned $146,617 in 2017.

Garrett could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday night.

“We’re happy for the chief. We wish him a joyous retirement,” said Firefighter Eric Wisher, president of the Troy Uniformed Firefighters Association.

“He was strict chief. It didn’t always benefit us,” Wisher said.

Assistant Fire Chief Eric McMahon is believed to be a strong candidate to succeed Garrett.