Groveland’s new Fire Chief Robert Valentine was sworn in Sunday at the town’s Central Fire Station.
Valentine, accompanied by his daughter Lisa Paicos, was sworn in by Town Clerk Elizabeth Cunniff. He officially began his duties Monday, recognizing similarities between Groveland and a past post in Lincoln, R.I.
Valentine explained, “I worked for many years at a paid on-call volunteer fire department, similar to Groveland’s Fire Department today, and then we became a combination department.” He said his new job is a “great fit” as Groveland’s fire department evolves.
Finance and Personnel Director Denise Dembkoski said Valentine was “a standout candidate during the preliminary interviews.”
Valentine officially began his new position Monday. He has 39 years of experience in fire service, most recently serving as deputy fire chief of the Albion Fire Department, in Lincoln, R.I., for approximately 13 years. He also has served as a training officer for the Albion Fire Department since 2004. He first joined Albion in 1991 as a firefighter and became a lieutenant in 1994.
Valentine served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1986. He also worked as a volunteer firefighter for the Saylesville Fire Department, in Lincoln, R.I., from 1980 to 1990.