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RANDOLPH — The Randolph Fire Department is pleased to announce that Ronald Cassford has officially begun his new role as Chief.
Chief Cassford was appointed to the position by Town Manager Brian Howard on March 14 and confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Randolph Town Council. He was officially sworn in on Monday, March 21.
Chief Cassford began his career as a firefighter in 1993 and has spent his 28-plus year career in the fire service with the Randolph Fire Department. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2002, captain in 2005, deputy chief in 2010 and chief of operations in 2016.
In his role as chief of operations, he initiated and successfully applied for many federal and state grants totaling close to $2 million. These grants helped the department purchase a new brush truck, personal protection equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus, provided additional funding for staffing and more.
In his time with the department, he assisted in coordinating National Incident Management System (NIMS) training to work toward town wide compliance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mandate, assisted with budget preparation and led technology-related projects.
The recruitment of new firefighters and the uptick in emergency responses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic are among some of the things Chief Cassford plans to address as chief.
“The Town of Randolph has been a wonderful community to serve for the past 28 years. I am honored to be appointed to this position, and look forward to leading the men and women of the Randolph Fire Department in our service to the residents of Randolph,” Chief Cassford said. “I would like to thank Town Manager Howard and the Randolph Town Council, as well as my family for their continued support.”
Chief Cassford takes over his new role following the retirement of Chief Richard Donovan, who retired in January after more than three decades in the fire service. He had remained with the department on an interim basis since January.
As part of the search for a new fire chief, Town Manager Howard appointed a nine member Fire Chief Search Committee composed of six department heads that work closely with the fire chief, two Town Council members and the Town Manager. There were 13 candidates who applied for the position, and five candidates were selected for an independent external assessment center conducted by fire chiefs which further narrowed the candidate pool from five to three. The three finalists were interviewed by the search committee and Chief Cassford was ultimately selected for the position.
“Chief Cassford showed himself to be a clear choice during the search process, excelling in both the assessment center and final interviews,” Town Manager Howard said. “He has tremendous firefighting experience, as well as administrative and leadership experience developed through the several command roles he has held. He has close to three decades of service and dedication to the Randolph Fire Department, and I look forward to his continued commitment to the Randolph community as chief of the department.”
Chief Cassford holds a number of certifications, including Massachusetts Fire Chief Accreditation from the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission, Chief Fire Officer Management Training from UMass Boston/Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, CPR Instructor from the American Heart Association, and Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Behavioral Health.
He additionally holds a Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Administration from Anna Maria College and associate degrees in electronic engineering and fire science from Massasoit Community College. Prior to joining the fire service, Chief Cassford worked in the network systems and construction industries.
Chief Cassford is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts.
He is married to his wife, Debbi, and they have three daughters, Mckenna, Morgan and Marly.
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