Longtime Wakefield Fire Chief Announces Retirement

Information via Town of Wakefield

WAKEFIELD, MA — Chief Michael Sullivan announced his intention to retire from the Wakefield Fire Department effective November 12, 2025, citing ongoing health concerns that require his attention. Sullivan’s retirement will wrap up a career with the Wakefield Fire Department spanning more than 41 years. It also marks the end of more than 100 years of service that the Sullivan family has devoted to the town and the fire department.

Three generations of Sullivans have worked for the department since 1924. The chief’s grandfather, Thomas Sullivan, and his great uncle, Daniel Sullivan, served as department members from the 1920’s to the middle part of the century. Thomas Sullivan had three sons, John, Warren, and Robert, who served between 1948 and the late 1970’s. Robert had two boys, Michael and Daniel, who worked for the department from the 1980’s up to the present day. Daniel Sullivan retired from the department in January of 2022, leaving Chief Sullivan as the last member of the family to serve with the department. The Sullivan family has sacrificed a lot over the last one hundred years, losing three members of the family in the line of duty as Wakefield firefighters, including Michael and Daniel’s dad, who died in the line of duty at the Ames Drug Store fire in Wakefield Square on March 11,1974.

Chief Sullivan was appointed as a provisional firefighter on August 9, 1984. He was subsequently appointed a permanent firefighter in 1985. He worked on different duty groups for the next several years until he was recommended for promotion to Lieutenant by then Fire Chief David Parr. Chief Parr assigned Sullivan as the department fire prevention officer. Sullivan’s duties included code enforcement, and, most noteworthy, public fire education. For the next five years as a Lieutenant, and an additional six years as a Captain, having been promoted in 1999, Sullivan developed the department’s fire safety program for school children and senior citizens. A generation of school children toured a fire safety trailer, receiving lessons in fire safety and home escape plans culminating in their exit through the pancake-scented smoke and down a ladder to their meeting spot.

Teaching fire safety to citizens was Chief Sullivan’s passion, and he missed it dearly when he finally had to give it up in 2006. To this day, the Chief will encounter young adults who toured the safety house as elementary students. Sullivan received several awards for his efforts in teaching fire safety, including the Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award and the Firefighter of the Year award, both in 1996, for developing fire safety education programs. Sullivan left fire prevention in 2005 and served as a shift commander on several duty groups until August of 2008.

Chief Dave Parr officially retired from the department in September of 2008, recommending Sullivan to be appointed as interim Fire Chief until the position could be permanently filled. A Chiefs exam was held, and Sullivan was appointed as permanent Fire Chief in September 2009. During his 17-year tenure as Chief, Sullivan applied for, and received, more than 2 million dollars in equipment and personnel grants, helped develop specifications for three fire engine pumpers and one aerial ladder truck, and participated in the hiring of over 40 of the department’s current fire fighters. He received the Scully Award from the school department in 2012 for his community outreach activities as Fire Chief.

Chief Sullivan will miss serving with the department; however, he acknowledges that, “the time has come to pass the torch to upcoming command staff so they can build upon the groundwork set down by the department over the past 17 years.”

He appreciates the help and guidance given to him by his fellow department heads over the years as well as the knowledge, talent, and friendship he has developed with his fellow department members and with members of the fire service in the region. Chief Sullivan looks forward to spending time with family and friends and taking many trips with his loving wife Lisa.