Gloucester Fire Department Recognizes the 28-year Career of Assistant Chief Robert Rivas

GLOUCESTER — The Gloucester Fire Department is recognizing the 28-year career of Assistant Chief Robert “Bob” Rivas, who retires today. 

Assistant Chief Rivas joined the Department in 1997 as a firefighter and EMT. He had worked dozens of fires before the night of April 9, 2013, when a fire in a two-story home left a 15-year-old girl trapped in an upstairs bedroom. Without a hose line to support him, then-Firefighter Rivas entered a second-floor window of the home to search for the girl in thick smoke and then helped remove her from the home. Rivas was among eight Gloucester firefighters to be recognized at the Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Awards for their efforts. 

Rivas was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014 and took on additional responsibilities. As a lieutenant, Rivas was trained in emergency response operations, advanced fire skills, fire inspection and code enforcement and more.

In 2020, Rivas was promoted to Assistant Chief and Emergency Management Director. In that role, he was second in command of the Fire Department, served as the City’s Emergency Management Director and played a critical role in Department and City leadership. 

Assistant Chief Rivas was recognized during a gathering at Fire Headquarters on Tuesday, and was presented with a citation from Sen. Bruce Tarr. 

“In 2020, Bob stepped into some very big shoes and took on a huge responsibility as Assistant Chief and Emergency Management Director. He did an outstanding job of serving our community and the men and women of the Gloucester Fire Department with honor and distinction,” said Chief Eric Smith. “In more than 28 years serving Gloucester, Bob has made a significant positive impact on the department, and we can’t thank him enough for his dedicated service. We wish Bob and his family well in his retirement.”