David Brogan reflects on more than 30 years with the Dearborn Heights Fire Department

Dearborn Heights, Michigan, entered a new era this summer when David Brogan, the city's former fire chief, retired after nearly 35 years with the department.

Before his departure, he sat down with CBS News Detroit to reflect on his career and legacy.

Answering emails at a desk is a mundane administrative task that Brogan has been happy to complete since becoming fire chief in 2014.

 "I've loved this job from day one. As soon as I got hired, I loved working here," Brogan said.

He was first hired as a paramedic for the Dearborn Heights Fire Department in 1992.

"On my 18th birthday, I applied for my first fire department job, and so I was very fortunate knowing what I wanted to do my whole career, and it's just been everything I ever hoped for," Brogan said.

He grew up in and around fire stations.

"I was going to all the stations all the time and seeing the camaraderie of all the guys. They would hang out before, you know, after work, and so all of his friends were firefighters," Brogan said.

That's because his father served as a Detroit firefighter for almost 40 years.

"I actually wanted to go to Detroit at one point when I was younger, and he talked me into looking around at some of the other places, and that's when I found Dearborn Heights," Brogan said.

Phil Hall will assume the mantle of chief once Brogan retires.

"I have nothing but respect for the chief," Hall said.

Hall has a tough act to follow.

"I cannot replace the chief. Like, the chief is just well respected, well loved by the community," Hall said.

He's prepared for the role thanks to Brogan.

"His number one rule has always been: be nice. Let's be nice to our citizens. The customer service is the only thing that we have, and we really strive to provide the best customer service to our residents that we possibly can," Hall said.

Earlier this year, Mayor Mo Baydoun announced that a new fire station breaking ground in the fall will be named after Brogan.

"The chief is so humble; he's probably one of the humblest individuals [I've] ever met in my life, so he gets asked about it. I think it embarrasses him a little bit, but it's going to be a really good honor," Hall said.

A legacy he credits to the whole team.

"I feel like the best legacy we have is our firefighters enjoy coming into work every day. They're proud of the work that they do, and our citizens feel like they're being cared for," Brogan said. "The idea of a legacy being about one person, I kind of struggle with that. It's kind of been [the] accomplishments of all of us as a group."

As the longest-serving fire chief in Dearborn Heights, Brogan's impact will be remembered for generations of firefighters to come.