Assistant fire chief called to the helm in Cranston

By ROSEGALIE CINEUS
Posted 1/8/25

The new year elevates a familiar face to lead the Fire Department with Mayor Kenneth Hopkins naming Daniel E. Marcinko as Cranston’s new fire chief.

Marcinko succeeds Robert Ryan, whose …

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Assistant fire chief called to the helm in Cranston

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The new year elevates a familiar face to lead the Fire Department with Mayor Kenneth Hopkins naming Daniel E. Marcinko as Cranston’s new fire chief.

Marcinko succeeds Robert Ryan, whose retirement began Jan. 3.

Coming in as the 21st fire chief to hold the leadership position in the department’s 100-year history, Marcinko said he had a mix of reactions when he got the job. He felt happy, a little nervous and surprised.

“There were two other real good candidates also,” said Marcinko, a Warwick native. “It must have been a real hard pick for the mayor to choose someone.”

When Marcinko was younger, he volunteered as a firefighter in East Greenwich. It was then that he decided to pursue it as a career.

As a volunteer, “you get introduced to the job … and [I] just wanted to learn it and get a job,” Marcinko said. “Being a firefighter somewhere, it was something that I thought I knew I'd love to do, and I always say, this is the best job in the world.”

Marcinko lives in Foster and has worked as a firefighter for more than 30 years. Since he was hired in March 1990 by the Cranston Fire Department, he has had various roles throughout his years of service.

Most recently, he worked as the assistant chief of operations for about four years, since 2021. In that role, Marcinko ran the day-to-day operations of the Fire Department, ensuring everyone had the right equipment, answering any questions that came up and helping the battalion chief make sure operations were  going as they should be during fires.

Now he is bringing all that experience to the department’s top job.

“Marcinko’s experience and unwavering commitment to our community make him the right choice to lead the Cranston Fire Department,” Mayor Hopkins stated in a press release announcing Marcinko’s selection. “I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to enhance our safety services and support our dedicated firefighters.”

Since starting his new position, Marcinko said, the department has been working to build a manual of operations to have guidelines on what to do in certain situations, and also dealing with a lot of health and safety issues.

“Keeping firefighters safe today with all the awareness of cancer, we've put washers in every station so they can wash their gear,” Marcinko said. “And speaking with the firefighters, I've been with them for 35 years, so it's like a big family.”

He also said that through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), the department’s six engines and two reserve trucks will be outfitted with all new fire hoses and nozzles.

With the new year here, budget season will soon begin.

“We're trying to do the best we can with what we can get,” Marcinko said. “I mean, everything's going up [in price], so it's very difficult to manage.”

As for the future of the department, Marcinko shared some thoughts on what he would like to focus on as he gets into his role. He said he wants to make sure everyone is safe and provides good services to residents.

“We do a lot of different things,” Marcinko said. “We have a regional hazmat team. We need to stay up on that with all the different situations that are arising today. We’re working with the police on implementing active shooter protocols. So, God forbid if any of that stuff happens, [we’ll be] ready to act and fulfill our role in that type of situation.

Marcinko will serve as the acting fire chief until his permanent appointment is approved by the City Council.

The current salary for the fire chief in Cranston is $126,376, according to documents in the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget.

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