Fire Chief Doherty Retires after 40 Years Down

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

It’s been 40 years since Eugene Doherty first donned his firefighters’ turncoat and helmet. This past Sunday, June 12, Doherty officially retired from the Revere Fire Department with the rank of chief.

Doherty, who is 64 years, old is mandated to retire at age 65 as the fire chief because of state regulations.

There are two members of the department qualified to become chief, Chris Bright and Mike Viviano. Mayor Brian Arrigo will be the one to make the appointment.

“He is the most respected fire chief in the state,” said City Councillor Anthony Zambuto.

The outgoing chief has extensive experience and training. He is a member of  Terrorism & Homeland Security Task force Committee-Member, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Emergency Managment Director for the City of Revere, Crowd Management/Security, Spectator Services, Executive Protection & Security (Worked and participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games, 2003 Ireland Special Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympic Games, 2006 Turin Olympic Games, 2005 Dali lama America Tour, 2007 International Boxing Championships Chicago, 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, 2012 London Olympic Games & a number of other major events (Super Bowls etc).

Doherty is also a Deputy Sheriff/Fire Investigator for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department for over 29 years. Sworn Police Officer for the investigation of fire and arson, chief of the Revere Fire Department for 39 years and seven months with over 100 firefighters under him. He has also worked with FEMA for urban search and rescue. He has also done security for Team owner as well as other notables/celebrities and Risk Management for Venue Security at Foxboro Stadium (American Football-New England Patriots, World Cup Soccer Venue, New England Revolution, Rock n’ Roll shows, and concerts.

Chief Eugene Dohertyparticipated

Chief Eugene Dohertyparticipated

“On behalf of the entire city, I’d like to extend my appreciation to Chief Doherty for his dedication to Revere. We are all grateful for his service and wish him all the best in retirement.,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo.

Doherty, a graduate of Revere High School and North Shore Community College, and his wife have raised three sons in the Point of Pines area of Revere. Doherty has also been instrumental in fighting the opiate epidemic. He and his firefighters, along with outreach workers and support from North Suffolk Mental Health have created a program to reach out to those with substance abuse disorder and their families. They facilitated the use of Narcan to reverse overdoses and follow up with residents to receive help.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.