Rick Roig retires after 31 years with Cheney Fire Department

Rick Roig's career with the Cheney Fire Department not only spanned several decades, but also included being on the forefront of many changes in the field of emergency response. And, it included delivering a couple of babies.

Roig was honored by the city at the City Council's July 14 meeting on the occasion of his retirement after 31 years of service. Department Lt. Tim Steiner said Roig began as a firefighter with Cheney in 1984, advancing to the rank of captain in the late 1980s and eventually battalion chief in 2002.

Roig was one of the first Cheney firefighters to also become an emergency medical technician, becoming an advanced EMT in 2010. Fire Chief Mike Winters noted that, among other duties, Roig took over the position of fire marshal in 2002, actively maintaining and monitoring an inspection program that makes sure structures within the city are in compliance with current fire codes.

"The work he has done, our citizens are safer for it," Winters said.

When Roig began in 1984, the department was averaging between 400-500 calls for service a year. By his last shift, Steiner said they had received over 1,400 calls for service.

"The growth of the city has been amazing in my time here," Roig told the council, and thanked the city for allowing him to have a "great career."

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].