Harp Donnelly IV, a native Newporter and 23-year veteran of the Newport Fire Department, has been named the city’s new fire chief.
Donnelly follows Fire Chief Brian Dugan, who retired last month after leading the city’s Fire Department for the past 5 years.
As deputy chief and a member of the department’s leadership team, Donnelly has been a part of the front line response to a number of emergency situations during his tenure, including the 2019 gas outage and the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Harp has been an integral piece of the Newport Fire Department and has served the city well,” said City Manager Joseph J. Nicholson, Jr. in announcing the appointment. “He has been pivotal in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a valued member of the department’s leadership team.”