Fire Chief Looks Forward, Back on Eve of Retirement

Wayland Fire Chief Bob Loomer isn’t a second or third generation firefighter, but he does have a passion for the fire industry running through his veins.

Loomer’s last day as Wayland’s chief fire officer is Feb. 24. He will retire after just over eight years as Wayland’s chief and 42 years in the industry.

Those 42 years of moments in time and lessons learned surround Loomer in the form of various memorabilia he keeps in his upstairs corner office at the Wayland Public Safety Building. Awards, statues, plaques – four decades in a profession, all four decades spent at only two departments, make for plenty of nostalgia. 

Loomer “got the bug” as a young man, chasing fire trucks on his bicycle and volunteering with his hometown fire department in Maynard starting at the age of 15. From there he headed to Oklahoma State University, which was, at the time, one of the only post-high school fire training options available, Loomer said.

His next few years spent studying industrial safety and fire protection paid off in the form of a personal invitation to join the Maynard Fire Department, an invitation Loomer accepted at 22.

As a fulltime firefighter, Loomer said, he began to explore the many disciplines of firefighting, and he found his niche in the realm of teaching. In 1977, he became an instructor at the Massachusetts Firefighters Academy in Stow.

“I have a love for teaching others,” said the outgoing chief, who suspended his teaching during his time with Wayland but hopes to return to it in retirement. “It’s the love of watching young men and women mold themselves into firefighters.”

He also became interested in codes enforcement and fire prevention all while rising through the ranks at Maynard to become captain, the senior position below chief and one Loomer held for 19 years.

But things began to change in 2001. That year, Loomer and his high school and college classmate Steve Kulik competed for the chief’s position with the Maynard Fire Department. The chips fell to Kulik.

“I beat him out to the rank of captain,” Loomer said, smiling. “He got me back beating me out to chief of the department. I’m very happy for him, but it was a challenge that was still in me.”

Meeting the Challenge

Recognizing a desire to pursue the challenge of department chief, Loomer threw his hat in the ring when, two years later, Wayland advertised the position.

“I felt as though I had the ability to lead,” Loomer said, pointing out that Maynard and Wayland are similar in size. “I’ve always perceived myself as a teacher and mentor.”

Loomer took the reins at the Wayland Fire Department in September 2003 and he said the intense application and interviewing process had prepared him well for the job ahead – with the exception of a little tradition no one mentioned.

He had been on the job for a couple of months when a strange voicemail gave him pause. Loomer said he checked his voicemail one afternoon to find a congratulatory message from a resident, welcoming him to the town. The end of the message however, left Loomer scratching his head.

“She wanted to know when Santa Claus was coming,” Loomer said. As far as he knew, Santa Claus made his visits in Wayland on Dec. 24 just as he does in any other town.

Luckily, some longer tenured firefighters enlightened Loomer on the decades-old tradition of Santa’s Ride during which Wayland firefighters (and Santa) ride an old fire engine through town and visit children in mid-December.

“What you saw was the guys reaching out to the community and bringing joy to the kids,” Loomer said. “It’s just indicative of the department. It’s that investment in community that I’m just so proud of. I hope I’ve fostered it and that it continues.

“What I’ve seen here in Wayland is the additional emphasis they [firefighters] put on community service and customer service – they’ve done an extremely effective job of reaching out to those they serve.”

Loomer said one of his goals as chief has been to foster professional development and a sense of ownership of the department among all firefighters.

When it comes to other goals, Loomer said his “most critical initiative” was to bring Advanced Life Support services to Wayland. It’s a goal he saw realized earlier this year when Wayland made its first unassisted ALS run staffed by full-time Wayland paramedics. The Wayland Fire Department now employs three paramedics, and is working toward the staffing necessary to provide ALS services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When he looks back on his time with the Wayland Fire Department, Loomer said he thinks of the achievement of ALS services and the flood of 2010, when “We realized once again that fire service is a multi-disciplined organization,” as key moments during his tenure.

He also said he has appreciated the unified view of public safety that he has shared with Wayland Police Chief Bob Irving and other town officials.

“We work together,” Loomer said of the fire and police departments. “There’s one sense of doing it right when it comes to public safety. Department heads, fire and police work together for public safety.”

As Loomer completes his time with Wayland, he is confidently looking forward to turning over leadership of the department to Chief Designate Vincent Smith, who has served with the Wayland Fire Department since 1978.

“It’s tough to let go, but what I really feel neat about is the department is really in good shape,” Loomer said. “The department has some good leaders.”

Loomer’s wife, Julie, retired from her teaching career last year and now, Loomer said, he wants devote his efforts to pursuing different challenges and spending time with his grandson.

“For me, it’s one more challenge,” Loomer said. “I’m not retiring in the traditional sense. I will continue to teach and continue to work in a supporting role in the fire services.

“In the end, I feel extremely proud of the department and I know that the future is a bright one,” Loomer said. “I’m so grateful that I’ve had 42 years of being a fireman.”