Bridgewater Fire Chief George Rogers has announced his retirement from the Department after serving more than 10 years as its Chief. Rogers started with the Department as a Firefighter in 1982. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2004 and appointed Chief in 2006.
The Chief issued the following statement to the Bridgewater community.
I would like to thank the residents of Bridgewater for the opportunity to be their Fire Chief for the last 10 years and a firefighter for over thirty-four years. We have a great town with some of the best people I have ever met and I hope you have felt confident with the job I have done in the community.
The Fire service has changed a great deal in thirty-four years and your Fire Department has adapted to the new challenges that have faced us. We currently have a staff of fifty employees that deliver a high level of fire protection, emergency medical services and fire prevention. Our Department is very efficient and I can guarantee you that your investment in us has been worth it.
In the next two years, changes will continue to be made, as our senior staff will be retiring. We have a succession plan in place to replace the senior staff and I am confident that your Fire Department will continue to deliver a high level of service during the transition to new leadership. Deputy Chief Thomas D. Levy will be taking over for me upon my retirement. Deputy Levy has been with the Department for over thirty years and has served ten years as your Deputy Chief. I am confident in his ability to lead the Department into the future.
I want to thank the members of the Department for their dedication to our community, always working as a team to keep our town safe.
Thank you to the Board of Selectmen that had the confidence to select me as their Fire Chief. I would also like to thank Town Manager Michael Dutton for his guidance and trust in me to independently run the Department. The key to success is to have the funds to deliver the service needed to protect our community and I couldn’t have done it without the Finance Committee’s support.
Being a firefighter has been more than a job; it is a significant part of my life that has brought forth many experiences. How many jobs are there that you can deliver a baby in the back of the ambulance, then coach her in basketball thirteen years later? Who can say they jumped out of a helicopter into a lake with dive gear to attempt to save the life of someone that fell through the ice? How many people have crawled down a smoke-filled hallway to rescue an unconscious fourteen year-old girl from a house fire? How many have held an elderly person’s hand to assure them that they are going to be ok during the worst moment of their life? These are just a few of my own experiences that I will share with you. This job comes with some difficulties that some can only imagine and it certainly takes its toll. I have no regrets and I am so lucky that I chose this career.
Thank you Town of Bridgewater for this opportunity, I am truly blessed.
Chief George W. Rogers, Jr.
Rogers’ last day at the Department will be Friday, March 18th. He will stay on as a consultant to the Department through late May.
Chief George Rogers and Deputy Chief Tom Levy