Worcester Fire Chief Gerry Dio to Resign After 35 Years of Service

Email to a friend Permalink

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

After 15 years as Fire Chief of the Worcester Fire Department, the city of Worcester has announced that Gerry Dio will retire at the end of 2015.  

In an exclusive interview with GoLocal, Dio said, “I have been blessed with great mentors, great partners. I’ve been blessed to be able to work with them all of these years. From the union to the city council to the City Manager, they’ve all been people with the city’s best interest in mind. Especially the guys on the job. They always give 110%.“

Dio joined the Fire Department in 1980. He was Deputy Chief in December 1999 when six firefighters perished at the Worcester Cold Storage building.

“After we lost six firefighters in the Cold Storage fire, everyone rose to the occasion and did their part. Everyone worked together,” said Dio.

The following year, Dio became Chief.

“The Chief has dedicated 35 years of service to our fine city. For nearly 15 years, the Chief has led the Worcester Fire Department with honor and distinction. He has guided the Department through good times and bad, and commanded the respect of every Firefighter who put on the uniform during his tenure. I want to thank him for his years of service and dedication to the department and to every man and woman who served in it,” said City Manager Ed Augustus.

Augustus said, "Chief Dio's retirement is not imminent and that he will continue to run the department and help with the transition. As such, it would be premature to discuss the process for selecting a new chief. The City will be guided by the civil service rules and regulations in performing such a selection process...civil service promotional tests for public safety officials are administered by the MA Human Resources Division on a regular, annual schedule. Communities typically participate and have eligible candidate lists created every two years. The City is scheduled to participate in the exam process during 2015 for both Fire and Police.”

When asked what moments stood out the most to him in his tenure as Chief, Dio quickly replied with the death of firefighter Jon Davies. Davies, a 17-year veteran, died in December 2011 when an apartment building on Arlington Street collapsed while he was inside attempting to put out a fire.

“The saddest thing about being a Chief is to have people die under your command,” said Dio.

Dio said that if he had one thing to tell the younger firefighters it would be to enjoy the job.

“You can definitely say it went by in a blink of an eye. Your life does,” said Dio. “People complain about having 10 or more years left on the job. I would tell them to enjoy it. It’s gone before you know it. When you have to walk out the door, it wakes you up. I’m saying, ‘Wow, where did 35 years go?’"

Dio assumes he will be officially retired by the end of the year, but as of right now, he doesn’t have an exact date in mind. Upon retirement, Dio is looking forward to spending time with his family and his granddaughter, Claire.

Related Articles

• 15 Years Later: The Honor of Being a Worcester Firefighter
• Giorgio: The Worcester Cold Storage Fire 15 Years Later
• Worcester Firefighters: It’s Safety Before Risk
• NEW: Worcester Fire Dept Presents “Be Safe in Your Home”
• Concerns Over Worcester Firefighters Retiring in Droves
• Worcester Fire Department’s Alarming Problem
• Almost 75 Percent of Worcester Fire Dept. Calls Not Fire Related
• In Case You Missed It—Worcester Fire Fighters Dying at an Alarming Rate
• Worcester Fire Fighters Dying at an Alarming Rate, Not From Fires
• EXCLUSIVE: Illegal - Old Worcester Firehouse Violates State Law

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink