Fire chief, a Tiburon native, to retire after more than two decades in role
Tiburon Fire Protection District Chief Richard Pearce will retire Feb. 28 after a 31-year career with the agency in which he started as a paramedic and worked his way up to the top post. He’s slated to be succeeded by Assistant Fire Chief Tommy Hellyer, who will assume the chief position March 3 pending formal approval of his contract by the district board next month; Hellyer was promoted into the newly created role last April to create a direct line of succession in anticipation of Pearce’s departure.
Pearce, a Tiburon resident who grew up in town and has spent nearly a half century working in the fire services, noted he expects his day-to-day to look “pretty different” after he steps down.
“This has been my life,” said Pearce, 64. “I’m ready for a break, honestly.”
He said he’s proud of what the agency has accomplished and the team he has built during his nearly 23 years leading the Tiburon district.
“I think that we have an amazing group of individuals who are committed to the organization, they are committed to the success of it moving forward and those in the organization are always looking out for everyone’s best interest,” he said.
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