Eugene Springfield Fire Chief, Randy Groves is retiring on April 29, 2016.
Chief Groves started with the City of Eugene in 1980 and has been a part of tremendous changes throughout the fire service. He worked his way through the ranks of Firefighter, acting Engineer, Captain, District Chief, Deputy Chief and finally, Chief of Department. He also has served on the Hazardous Materials and Water Rescue Teams, and was the first team leader of the Water Rescue Team. He took the helm of Eugene Fire and EMS in 2006.
During his tenure as Chief, he has continued that path of great change, embracing new ideas and technology to better serve the community. He was instrumental in the fire service merger initiative with the City of Springfield to create Eugene Springfield Fire. This system produced a more efficient and effective service delivery system that was evident in three community impact events, the Swanson Mill Fire, Civic Stadium Fire and South Towne Lanes Fire. For almost 6 years, he has guided this merged organization in protecting the communities of Eugene and Springfield without regard to city boundaries.