Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station, Engine 48, in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served in many areas of NYC including Midtown Manhattan. Soon after earning a promotion to Battalion Chief, he was assigned to Battalion 39 in East New York Brooklyn. Toward the end of his career he was asked to become the Chief-in-Charge of their Research and Development Unit where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced into the fire service.