Worcester Fire Chief Dio to retire - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Worcester Fire Chief Dio to retire - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com

WORCESTER — When Fire Chief Gerard A. Dio retires at the end of this year, he will end a 35-year career with the department marked most distinctly by his efforts surrounding the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. building fire in 1999.

Chief Dio was an incident commander on Dec. 3, 1999, the day the massive structure fire killed six local firefighters. In the days that followed, the soon-to-be fire chief put back-breaking, physically and emotionally exhausting, work into the site, searching for his colleagues. Then, in the evenings after grueling days, he would head over to the Worcester Fire Department Credit Union to handle administrative work.

At the office, Chief Dio would oversee the processing of thousands of contributions pouring in from around the world for families of the lost firefighters, totaling millions of dollars in the end. When honored with a community leadership award in 2000 for his efforts, he notably downplayed his efforts.

Chief Dio, 61, announced Friday he will step down after 15 years as leader of the department. The Worcester resident joined the ranks in 1980 and moved up quickly from there. He was appointed to a district chief spot in 1992 and then to a deputy position four years later before taking over as chief in 2000.

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