Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher resigns.

After 37 and one-half years of distinguished service with the Somerville Fire Department and 18 and one-half years at the helm of the department, Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher, whose official title is Chief Engineer of the Somerville Fire Department, will be retiring as of May 16, 2015, announced Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.

“Chief Kelleher was a civil servant whose dream was to be a fire fighter, and as he pursued that goal, our whole city benefitted. Having this dedicated, tireless, forward-thinking civil servant lead our fire department into the 21^st century, has made our community safer, our safety policies smarter, and emergency response capabilities broader,” said Mayor Curtatone. “But Chief Kelleher didn’t just manage strategically, he knew our streets. This was a hands-on Chief who was at every fire scene and who personally drove every snow-covered street repeatedly this winter to ensure passage was clear for emergency vehicles. In short, he made our community safer and he deserves our community’s highest gratitude for that. I cannot speak highly enough of his commitment and contribution to our community, and I wish him all the best in his well-deserved and hard-earned retirement.”

Kelleher joined the Somerville Fire Department in Oct. 1977, and rose through the ranks to eventually become Chief in 1997. His 18 years as Chief, make him the longest serving chief in the Metro Fire Region. During his tenure as Chief Fire Engineer, he worked to modernize equipment and procedures and among other advancements, introduced data-based management and safety analysis, hiring the department’s first ever fire data analyst. Kelleher spearheaded the effort to establish Rescue Company 1, which expanded the department’s ability to respond to major and complex emergencies including building collapse. Under his leadership, the department was also selected to join the Metro Boston Homeland Secure Region, which provides coordinated regional responses to major emergencies in the metro area.

“Chief Kelleher is a consummate professional who deservedly rose through the ranks and who has steadily moved the department forward, even right up to the very end as he initiated the creation of a new, state-of-the-art headquarters that will provide the proper training facilities and a centrally located homebase for our crews,” said Alderman At Large Jack Connolly, Chair of the Public Health and Public Safety Committee. “Wherever there was an opportunity for improvements and enhancements whether it was in acquiring specialized training for crews, ensuring the community was reminded of safety precautions, or transforming the department’s data analysis capabilities, Kelleher was sure to spot it and then make it happen. This has been 37 years of a job well done.”

Mayor Curtatone is currently considering several candidates to serve as provisional Chief Fire Engineer until a new Chief is hired. The City will be working with the State Human Resources Division on the selection process for a new chief.

“Right from the start, the Chief was always a go getter,” said Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Sullivan. “He was very dedicated to the fire service. When he first started out, he used to chase fires in other communities to observe their response techniques and learn from their approaches. And eventually, he put Somerville on a playing field equal to that of Boston when it comes to emergency response. We are now a major player in emergency response in the region thanks to his efforts, especially with bringing in Rescue 1. It has been an honor to work with him, and it will be an honor to see the department through this transition.

— City of Somerville