photo by: Nick Krug

In this file photo from Aug. 24, 2017, Lawrence Fire Chief Mark Bradford is pictured at the old fire station near 19th and Massachusetts streets.

One indicator of how Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Chief Mark Bradford viewed his profession was in the theme of the emails he sent to his staff.

Former Division Chief Bill Stark, who retired last year, said Bradford would regularly send out “fire service pride” emails to the department, usually copying city management.

Stark said that in the emails Bradford would often relay thank-you letters — sometimes scanning them in — and other compliments from members of the public. Stark said that even if the message was just that someone’s grandmother had been well taken care of by fire and medical staff, the emails were important.

“He would send them out randomly, but you knew when you saw an email that said that he was recognizing somebody for doing good work,” Stark said. “A lot of times you get those letters and they get filed away, nobody knows about it. But I think just knowing that other people are out there working hard and doing good things, it makes us want to work harder and do things better.”

Bradford, 58, died Thursday. The city did not provide information regarding the cause of death.

Bradford spent more than 40 years as a firefighter, beginning his career in his hometown of Lee’s Summit, Mo., in 1977, according to a statement from the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. Bradford joined the Lawrence department as deputy fire chief in February 2001 and was promoted to fire chief in November 2005, according to the city’s public affairs office.

Bradford’s pride in the fire service appeared far reaching. Stark said that Bradford was the “ultimate professional” and that he expected the same from his staff. Stark said that included the look and upkeep of stations, fire trucks and uniforms. He said Bradford was a “big stickler” when it came to all those aspects of the job, but that it did make a difference.

“That may seem like minor details, but it’s very important when you’re running an organization that size, with 150 people, different shifts, different personalities,” Stark said. “He just always held us at a higher level, and sometimes we weren’t happy with it, but you know what, he was the boss and we understood that.”

Former Division Chief Rich Barr also recalled Bradford’s emphasis on professionalism and structure. That penchant for order also seemed to carry down to the details of Bradford’s own office.

“He used to be very particular about things in his office,” Barr said. “People would go in just out of pure orneriness and move things around in his office. It was always a joke to see how long it took him to put it back in its place.”

Barr, who retired in 2010, called Bradford a great guy and said that even though Bradford was his boss, he used to kid around with him a lot. Still, when it came to the fire service itself, Barr said that Bradford was adamant about its importance.

“One of the things I remember when I think about the chief is his reverence for the fire service,” Barr said. “He was very much about honoring the service, honoring those who served, honoring tradition.”

Local leaders also noted Bradford’s professionalism and dedication.

Former City Commissioner Mike Amyx said one of the big things that happened during Bradford’s tenure was the 2008 approval of the special infrastructure sales tax. Part of those dollars went to purchase new fire trucks and equipment, and Amyx said that Bradford made sure that everyone understood what those funds would be used for and how it would benefit the department. And no matter the decision, be it changes to fire code or fire equipment, Amyx said there was one constant with Bradford: safety.

“The discussion could be about any number of things,” Amyx said. “He wanted to make sure folks were safe.”

Lawrence Mayor Stuart Boley said Bradford always shared his expertise with the City Commission.

“Chief Bradford was a respected professional and provided his expert guidance to the Lawrence City Commission during his long tenure with the city,” Boley said in a statement. “We will miss him very much and extend our deep sympathy to his family, the city staff and all of his friends throughout the Lawrence community.”

In addition to his position as fire chief, Bradford was part of the Lawrence school board from 2009 to 2013. Former school board member Mary Loveland served with Bradford on the board. She said one of the big decisions the board made at that time was the choice to move from a junior high structure with a three-year high school to the current middle school structure. Generally, Loveland said that although she and Bradford had differences, she found him to be a very thoughtful and candid school board member.

“We could always discuss issues thoughtfully, rationally and respect each other’s thoughts on the matter, and often ended up voting the same way,” Loveland said. “My memory is we had differing political philosophies, and yet we had the same goals of taking care of the kids of Lawrence.”

The Journal-World also sought comments from current employees of the fire and medical department. Interim Fire Chief Shaun Coffey provided a statement regarding Bradford’s death on behalf of the department. That statement, in part, reads that the department is mourning and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Bradford.

The statement notes that Bradford looked after members of the department and made sure they had the best training and equipment, from boots to the department’s fire trucks. The statement, though, focused more on Bradford himself, noting that he was often teased for his soft heart and that “he was a friend to many and a mentor to all.”

“His career, his advancement, his accomplishments are numerous but it was the person that made the man,” the department’s statement reads. “The long and the short story for Chief Bradford was his heart for others and he epitomized service to others above self.”

The statement goes on to say that Bradford’s death has left a hole in the department but that through his example the department would carry on his legacy.

“Chiefs come and chiefs go, but I think he made a big impact on the way we do things, the way we look and the way we act,” Stark said. “I think in the future, when the next fire chief shows up, he set a high bar.”

Services for Bradford were pending and had not yet been announced as of Friday evening, according to a death notice received by the Journal-World.