Published in the November 30, 2017 edition
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Fire Chief William Warnock intends to retire in January.
Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto informed the Selectmen of this pending department head change by reading a statement at the end of the board’s Nov. 20 meeting.
“I am grateful to Chief Warnock for his service and loyalty to the town, and I will miss his passion for firefighting and for the North Reading Fire Department. I respect Chief Warnock’s request for privacy for this personal decision, and I wish the Chief good luck and good health in his retirement,” Gilleberto stated after listing Warnock’s advancement through the ranks of the department, dating back to his appointment as a call firefighter in 1982 to his appointment as chief in 2013.
His retirement will become effective January 21, 2018, Gilleberto said.
“Chief Warnock began his career as a North Reading call firefighter on August 31, 1982. He became a permanent firefighter in 1987, was promoted to the rank of Fire Captain in 1998, and was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in 2007,” Gilleberto said.
“On April 21, 2011 he was appointed Acting Chief, and on January 18, 2013 he became Fire Chief. Under his leadership, the Fire Department expanded in size and scope with the implementation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical services and the hiring of additional firefighters in 2012,” Gilleberto stated.
The T.A. added, “Chief Warnock is a ‘firefighter’s firefighter,’ and during his tenure as chief he was always available to respond to emergencies. In addition to his presence at incidents big and small at any hour of the day or night, Chief Warnock regularly filled in the gaps when our town needed something necessary to be done. He was the steward of the flag on our beautiful North Reading common. The Chief was also a source of strength for many of us when former Information Technology Director Eugene Tworek fell ill and passed away in 2016.”
Each of the selectmen offered Warnock, who was not present at the meeting, their best wishes for a well-deserved retirement.
Selectman Steve O’Leary offered his congratulations to Chief Warnock and commented on Gilleberto’s use of the word “passionate” when describing Warnock’s commitment to his profession and his department. “That’s an understatement. Chief Warnock is a passionate firefighter, not to mention he is also a third generation firefighter on the North Reading Fire Department,” O’Leary said, noting that both Warnock’s father and grandfather had served the local department.
Selectman Bob Mauceri thanked Chief Warnock for his years of service “and his loyalty to the community. I wish him well in his retirement and his future endeavors.”
Selectman Andrew Schultz also thanked the chief for his “longtime service to the town.”
“I wanted to congratulation the chief as well and wish him the best of luck in whatever he decided to do in his future,” Selectman Kathryn Manupelli
Selectman Chairman Mike Prisco said the town administrator had summed up Warnock’s career well. “Your letter was very nicely written and I don’t think I could have said any more than what you had there. We wish him and his family the best in his next endeavors and I am sure his department will miss him because there is nobody who has advocated better for them than he did. He certainly was a strong advocate,” Prisco said, adding, “I’m sure we will see him around the community.”
