One of Alexandria’s longest serving firefighters has stowed his equipment for the last time. As of April 29, Capt. Thurston McClain officially said goodbye to emergency calls and 24-hour shifts when he retired after serving 34 years with the Alexandria Fire Department.

“Being part of the Alexandria Fire Department has been a good fit for me,” McClain said as friends gathered April 23 at Station 204 to bid McClain farewell. “I think because we are a smaller department, the bonds of friendship are stronger. At least they have been for me.”

McClain, part of the AFD rookie class of 1981, has been a fixture in the community focusing on outreach to underprivileged children. He founded the Black Fire Service Professionals of Alexandria Holiday Toy Party more than 15 years ago.

“That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my time here,” said McClain, who has stayed in touch with some of the attendees over the years. “The effects of an event like that are everlasting.”

A 1974 graduate of Cardoza High School in Washington, D.C. McClain went on to earn a degree in sociology from Langston University, where he received a full football scholarship. Named team captain and Most Valuable Player during his senior year, McClain tried out for a number of professional football teams including the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Toronto Argonauts.

In 2010, McClain was inducted into the All Metropolitan Football Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. He has served as a high school football coach for over 25 years at Cardozo and T.C. Williams high schools.

“Throughout my time with the department, I have been working as a substitute teacher whenever possible,” McClain said. “I love working with kids and hope to do more of it in my retirement.”

At 59 years old, McClain has mixed feelings about leaving the department he has served for so many years.

“These guys have been my family,” McClain said of the many friends who stopped by to wish him well. “But I am looking forward to doing more teaching and having more time to work with kids. After 34 years, it’s time to begin the next chapter in my life.”