Donald Gould is a builder.

Well, really he is a firefighter, and he's spent the last 49 years of his life in the fire service in Prospect Heights.

But Gould deserves to be remembered upon his retirement this week as the man who built the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District from the ground up, Deputy Chief Drew Smith said.

"Much has changed over the past 49 years, but one thing that has remained constant is (Gould's) dedication to the fire district, its members and the citizens we all serve," Smith said.

Gould walked into the Prospect Heights fire department as a teenager in the 1960s and volunteered as a cadet. His father was a firefighter and later chief for nearly two decades, before handing the reins to his son, who had worked his way through the ranks as a firefighter, lieutenant, captain and assistant fire chief.

"My dad gave me the spark, and now for the first time in 57 years there won't be a Gould at the Prospect Heights Fire Department," he said.

But perhaps not for long. Gould's son is in training to become an EMT, carrying on the family tradition.

For much of the time Gould was in the fire service, and for nearly half his 28 years as fire chief, Prospect Heights was served by a volunteer firefighters, The first district hired its first official staff in 2001.

Smith said he met Gould in 1981 when he joined the volunteer squad. They were paid $1 per call and referred to themselves as the "two-guys fire department" because only two people were ever on duty at the same time.

Over the years, Smith said, Gould was instrumental in bringing paramedic services to Prospect Heights, consolidating services that were split between multiple fire districts and growing the department to where it is today -- with 50 full- and part-time staffers answering 2,000 calls a year.

Friends, family and police and fire officials from surrounding departments congratulated Gould on his years of service and celebrated with him at the station on Thursday.

"I was moved beyond words," Gould said after the ceremony. "It's a very proud moment in my life. It's been a great run."

On his way out of the fire station Gould inspected his staff one last time and was presented with the American flag that waved above the fire station during his last week.

"He has done such a great job," said Mayor Nick Helmer. "He's calm, he's straightforward, he's a perfect gentleman and a perfect leader."