2023 -- H 5651
========
LC001361
========
S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
HONORING LINCOLN FIRE CHIEF RICHARD ANDREW S FOR MORE THAN FIFTY
YEARS OF DEVOTED AND DEDICATED SERVICE
Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Costantino, Ackerman, Casey,
Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Serpa, Lima, and Tanzi
Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, For retired Lincoln Fire Chief Richard Andrews, public service and a career 1
in fire safety were a family tradition. His father, the late Earl Andrews, Sr., was the Fire Chief of 2
Saylesville until 1984, and inspired Richard to begin a career in fire safety. His two brothers were 3
also volunteer firemen, and his late brother, Bruce Andrews, was the Deputy Fire Chief in 4
Saylesville. Chief Andrews’s son, Michael, currently serves as the Fire Chief in Wilbraham, 5
Massachusetts; and 6
WHEREAS, Chief Richard Andrews began his distinguished public service career in 7
1970, at the young age of sixteen, serving as a volunteer firefighter in Saylesville. He later 8
proceeded to serve as a firefighter for nineteen years, rising to the rank of Captain in 1989. In 9
2008, he was promoted to the position of Chief; and 10
WHEREAS, During his time as Chief, Mr. Andrews, thanks to his strong leadership 11
skills and tireless work ethic, was able to facilitate the consolidation of the Saylesville and Albion 12
Fire Districts into one unified district, the Lincoln Fire District, something that had been 13
attempted, without success, since the 1980s. Accomplishing this task allowed the new 14
consolidated district to pool funds and stabilize the tax rate for all residents; and 15
WHEREAS, Chief Andrews led his department through the most difficult times of the 16
COVID-19 pandemic, a period during which personnel were constantly forced to miss work due 17
to illness or out of fear of bringing the virus to their families and loved ones. Thanks to his 18
excellent communication skills and administrative acumen, his department was able to come out 19
LC001361 - Page 2 of 2
of the pandemic in strong shape; and 1
WHEREAS, Chief Andrews, a lifelong Lincoln resident, stated that he remembers back 2
in 1970, when the fire district would get approximately 70 calls a year, while today it gets 3
approximately 3,300 a year. Most recently, he and his team were faced with the devastating fire 4
that hit the Knock On Wood Furniture store, and successfully put out the fire and made sure that 5
it did not spread to any homes; and 6
WHEREAS, Michael Allen, the Fire Commission Chairperson, and someone who 7
volunteered alongside Chief Andrews as a teenager, described the legacy of Chief Andrews best 8
when he stated that he has “the highest level of respect for Andrews”, “he has a level head and an 9
even temper, that’s hard to find”, and “It breaks my heart that he left, but he made sure that this 10
department was up to snuff. He gave back to the community. He is a good man”; now, therefore 11
be it 12
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 13
congratulates Lincoln Fire Chief Richard Andrews on his retirement and thanks him for his more 14
than fifty years of exemplary public service. We furthermore wish him a most happy retirement 15
with his wife Paula, and his two children, two step-children, and nine grandchildren. We also 16
wish him continued success in all of his future endeavors; and be it further 17
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authored and directed to 18
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Fire Chief Richard Andrews. 19
========
LC001361
========