After nine years in the leadership role, Fire Chief Ron Gates is retiring from his position on June 30, but he has chosen to remain with the department as a firefighter.
Gates has been a member of the Warwick Fire Department for 18 years in all. He was a lieutenant and training officer for six years, and worked full-time for MedStar Ambulance prior to taking the chief’s position.
“My training started with every Massachusetts Firefighting Academy class I could get into, which was about every weekend,” Gates said.
He went on to complete the Fire 1 and Fire 2 courses with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy before earning his EMT certification at Greenfield Community College. Gates said he has always been drawn to a career in public safety.
“What I enjoy most is helping people at their worst time, with hope of making things better for them,” Gates explained.