Fire chief reflects on career, highlights 2018 train rescue

Newport’s fire chief reflected on his decades of service and the bonds built in the department, saying he knew “almost immediately that this was the job for me.”

The chief opened by describing early days on the job and the camaraderie that kept him committed. “Right here is a picture of the first fire truck that I responded on. We actually rode on the back of the truck on the tail board,” he said, describing how crews helped each other don air packs and relied on mutual trust during responses.

He said the relationships formed with residents, firefighters and mutual-aid partners are his proudest accomplishments. “The thing that I'm most proud of during my time as chief is the relationships that I built over the years with the community, firefighters, and our mutual aid partners,” he said, adding that approaching incidents through a “customer service lens” guides how crews assist homeowners recovering belongings or medications after fires.

The chief recounted a notable rescue in 2018 near the border of Newport in which responders saved a man struck by a train. The response was awarded the region’s 2018 rescue of the year, and the crew later met the survivor and his son — an encounter the chief called “truly rewarding.”

He also described the staffing model and family impacts of a paid-on-call department. “Being a paid on call department, we couldn't do this without our family,” he said, noting that pagers pull members away from family events and praising his wife's support with late-night preparations and winter logistics.

He closed by asking that people remember his dedication and service to Newport citizens, saying the job’s greatest reward is easing someone’s worst day even in a small way.

The remarks were a first-person reflection rather than a report of new departmental policy or formal action.