retirement

Athol Police Lieutenant Kevin Heath Retires After 38 Years of Service

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Athol Police Department
Russell T. Kleber, Chief of Police
280 Exchange St.
Athol, MA 01331

For Immediate Release

Friday, April 27, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Athol Police Lieutenant Kevin Heath Retires After 38 Years of Service

ATHOL — Chief Russell T. Kleber announces the retirement of Lieutenant Kevin Heath from the Athol Police Department today.

Lt. Heath has served as a member of the Athol Police for 38 years.

“We would like to thank Lt. Heath for his service to the town of Athol and for his years of service to our nation with the United States Air Force Security Forces,” Chief Kleber said. “On behalf of the entire department, we wish Kevin well and hope that he will enjoy his retirement with his wife, sons, daughter-in-law and grandchild.”

Earlier today, Athol Police officers stood at attention outside of the station and saluted Lt. Heath and a final radio call was given at 8:01 a.m. thanking him for his years of service.

Lt. Heath joined the department on Dec. 2, 1979. He was promoted to sergeant in September 1988 and lieutenant in February 2007.

He has served as commander of the detective/narcotics division since 2000 and has been the commander of field operations since 2007.

Lt. Heath has received numerous awards during his career including the Trooper George Hanna Memorial Award for Bravery in 1997 and Athol Police Department Medal of Merit in 1991. He has received many letters of commendation and letters of application, and is a recipient of the Athol Police Department Distinguished Service Award.

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Groveland Fire Chief Robert Lay Retires After 44 Years

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Groveland Fire Department
Kurt Ruchala, Interim Fire Chief
Public Safety Building
181 Main St
Groveland, MA 01834

For Immediate Release

Monday, April 2, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Groveland Fire Chief Robert Lay Retires After 44 Years

GROVELAND — Fire Chief Robert B. Lay has retired from the Groveland Fire Department after a long career.

Lay has served as a firefighter for 44 years, and has spent his entire firefighting career in Groveland. Groveland’s fire chief is part-time, so in addition to his career in the fire service, he worked full-time for Supermedia LLC from 1973 until his retirement in 2011.

A lifelong Groveland resident, Lay joined the fire department in 1973. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1990, captain in 1993, and deputy chief in 2011 before being named chief in 2014. He leaves a very different fire department than the one he joined in the 1970s.

Retired Groveland FIre Chief Robert B. Lay
Retired Groveland FIre Chief Robert B. Lay

“As communities change, fire departments need to grow and change too. It is my sincere hope that I leave the Groveland Fire Department as a more modern public safety agency that is prepared to meet the needs of our residents now and into the future,” Chief Lay said. “I am proud to have served alongside so many wonderful men and women who leave their homes and families when the alarm sounds in Groveland.”

As Groveland has grown and developed, its population has changed, and the needs of its citizens have changed in kind. The role of call/volunteer fire departments like Groveland’s has been altered significantly. As the rate of building fires has dropped nationally, firefighters are being increasingly called upon for community services, public education and medical emergencies.

Under Lay’s leadership, Groveland earned its Class V ambulance license earlier this year for the Groveland and South Groveland rescue squads, allowing the department to better respond to crises in town by administering medications to those having acute medical emergencies. Nearly 1/3 of the department’s 31 firefighters are now certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, and by year’s end 2/3 of the department plans to be certified.

As call/volunteer departments have struggled nationally with declining membership rates, the Groveland Fire Department has added more than a dozen members during  Lay’s tenure. And despite the fact that women only account for 3.4 percent of career firefighters, Groveland Fire is 20 percent female. Last year,  Lay hired five female firefighters, and each successfully graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, a mark of skill and professionalism in the field.

“It has been a pleasure working alongside Chief Lay as my neighbor and colleague,” said Georgetown Fire Chief Fred Mitchell. “Working together, mutual aid and emergency medical service has been improved in both of our communities and elsewhere in the Merrimack Valley. Chief Lay has been a true partner, and I wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life.”

Lay’s retirement was effective April 1. Assistant Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala has been named interim fire chief for the near term, and the town will soon announce plans to conduct a search for a new permanent fire chief. Ruchala is a 33-year veteran firefighter who previously served 11 years with the Rutland Fire Department before moving to Groveland. He is a certified fire officer and member of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, having been appointed by former Gov. Deval Patrick in 2012 and re-appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2015.

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Melrose Police Officer William O’Donnell Retires After Nearly 40 Years of Service

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Melrose Police Department
Michael L. Lyle, Chief
56 W. Foster St.
Melrose, MA 02176

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Melrose Police Officer William O’Donnell Retires After Nearly 40 Years of Service

MELROSE — It’s been a long and fulfilling ride, but after 37 years with the Melrose Police Department, Officer William O’Donnell hung up his hat — which he was known to wear even when driving in his cruiser — last week.

Feb. 28 marked Officer O’Donnell’s last day with the Melrose Police Department, and summed up a four-decade long career in the criminal justice field.

Officer O’Donnell was appointed to the Melrose Police Department in 1981. For years, he was a prominent figure in sector 2 — covering the southwest section of the city. Residents often saw him walking throughout downtown and easily recognized him when he was behind the wheel of his cruiser.

He’s also an avid animal lover and was known to “issue” many dog biscuits to man’s best friend. When a pig got loose from its pen and was wandering around Main Street last year, everyone knew Officer O’Donnell was the guy to catch it.

“Bill was so proud of catching that little piglet,” Chief Lyle recalled. “His love for animals always shined through whatever he was doing.”

The longtime officer and chief share a special connection — Officer O’Donnell served as the field training officer for Chief Lyle when he came on board in 1986.

“He instilled many values in me that I still carry today,” Chief Lyle said. “Bill’s presence in the department and around the city will be greatly missed, but we all wish him well in this next chapter of his life.”

Prior to joining the Melrose Police Department, O’Donnell enlisted in the Marine Corps as an 18-year-old in 1971. He served two years of active duty, including a deployment to Vietnam. Upon receiving an honorable discharge in 1973, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve, later retiring in 1999 at the rank of First Sgt.

Officer O’Donnell initially entered the criminal justice field in 1973 when he took on a job as an officer at the Suffolk County Jail. From 1979-1981, he served a federal police officer with the U.S. Federal Protective Service in Boston. In that position, he worked at Cuban refugee centers during President Jimmy Carter’s administration and was involved in the air traffic controller’s strike under President Ronald Reagan.

While working in Melrose, Officer O’Donnell earned a bachelor’s degree in policing from Northeastern University, followed by a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Western New England College.

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Officer Anthony Caturello Retiring from Reading Police Department

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Reading Police Department
Mark D. Segalla, Chief of Police
15 Union St.
Reading, MA 01867

For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 12, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Officer Anthony Caturello Retiring from Reading Police Department

 

READING — Deputy Chief David Clark is pleased to announce that Officer Anthony Caturello will be retiring from the Reading Police Department after more than three decades on the job. 

Reading Police recognized him for his accomplishments at a coffee hour on Wednesday, Jan. 10. A 32-year veteran of the department, Officer Caturello was a career patrol officer credited with saving two lives during his career. He also received two commendations for arresting a violent felon, as well as a barricaded subject.

“On behalf of the entire department, we’re sad to see Officer Caturello leave us, but we’re grateful for the incredible work he did throughout his career,” Deputy Chief Clark said. “He was a great officer and we wish him nothing but the best as he begins this next chapter of his life.”

While he worked on numerous cases and incidents throughout his career, Officer Caturello identified three that stand out. 

In May of 1989, Officer Caturello stopped at CVS in Reading Square while on his way to work. While there, he heard a disturbance at the rear of the store that turned out to be a shoplifter. He followed the suspect out of the store and pursued on foot as the man got into a car and fled through a nearby parking lot. Despite not having his service weapon or a radio, Officer Caturello confronted the suspect as he exited the vehicle to remove the license plate approximately a quarter mile from the store. The suspect then violently struggled with Officer Caturello — at one point reaching for a screwdriver inside his vehicle — before being subdued and later arrested.

In 1995, Officer Caturello responded to a home where a man with felony warrants had barricaded himself in the attic. Following a struggle, Officer Caturello was again able to subdue the suspect and place him under arrest.

Then, in 1999, he pulled behind a vehicle he believed to be disabled at Washington and Main Streets in the early morning hours of Oct. 30. when Officer Caturello arrived, the driver fled on foot, launching a pursuit. He eventually located the suspect in ankle deep water in a creek and was able to place him under arrest on multiple drug charges, including possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

In addition, the first arrest of his career came after he stopped an impaired driver while on foot patrol in Reading Square in 1986. The driver was charged with Operating Under the Influence and, unlike today, Officer Caturello’s report on the incident was written by hand.

Officer Caturello previously worked with the Malden Police Drug Unit for a year, the Rapid Response Team for several years and served in the National Guard for six years. 

With his work with the Reading Police now complete, Officer Caturello is considering his options for a second career following his retirement, and is also investigating the possibility of becoming a snowbird and heading south during the cold months of winter.

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