Dozens of people gathered at the Whitman Fire Central Station for the retirement of Fire Chief Timothy Grenno.
Grenno has been chief of the Whitman Fire Department since 2008. Chiefs from all over Plymouth County stopped by to wish him well, many feel he’s a natural leader.
“It’s the passion for the job, it’s the dedication to the town, to the department, to make it a better place than when you started,” said Grenno.
Grenno was first appointed as a call firefighter in 1984 by his father, then Chief Richard Grenno. He was named a full-time firefighter in 1992 and was named Lieutenant in 1999.
“Firefighters are born with a spark in their body. I knew from a very early age that this was the only profession I wanted,” said Grenno. “It’s stuck with me as long as I can remember. I would have never wanted to do anything different.”
He said he did his best to keep the town prepared. From ballistic vests to pandemic response, he was committed to keeping the town safe.
Grenno says his favorite part of the job is the camaraderie, and never knowing what their next call to action would be.
“Who in their right mind would have ever thought that we were going to have a pandemic that cripples the country? But it goes back to planning,” said Grenno. “I’ve always been a planner, I’ve always tried to make sure that our department and our town is ready for whatever Mother Nature or whatever else is thrown at us. Proper training and proper planning all paid off. I cannot say enough about how this town handled the COVID crisis.”
Grenno says it was 12 months before there was a confirmed COVID case at the department. They’ve had two through the pandemic.
“Whitman is a phenomenal department – it is a great town. We have 24 strong-willed, professional firefighters that come to work every day and do an outstanding job. The surrounding towns around us, how well that we work together,” said Grenno. “It’s their dedication and their talent that makes my job as chief that much easier.”
Lieutenant Timothy Clancy has been tabbed as the new chief of the Whitman Fire Department.
From left: Abington Deputy Fire Chief Jack Glynn, Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Grenno, State Rep. Alyson Sullivan. Photo credit: Lenny Rowe.
