The JournalNews of Hamilton reports Ferdelman's grandfather was a firefighter from 1925 to 1958. His father served as a police officer from 1942 until 1976.
Ferdelman initially planned to become a lawyer but took an interest in police work and has been a member of the force for 36 years, spending about one-third of that time as chief. He plans to retire March 2 from his job in Hamilton, about 20 miles north of Cincinnati.
