New Fire Chief Rick Plummer. New Fire Chief Rick Plummer. (Photo Beth Callaway)

Chief Plummer has been a firefighter for approximately 32 years, both as volunteer and career. He was a full-time firefighter in Portsmouth for nearly 25 years, holding all ranks up through chief when he retired in 2001. He has also served as chief in Standish, Biddeford and Cocoa, Florida.

Plummer lives in Gray with his wife, Elizabeth, who grew up in the area. "I was actually was born in Massachusetts and grew up there," shared Plummer. "I have lived my adult life in Maine. My brother is Fire Chief in Dover, New Hampshire. Our family all live within an hour of Gray - some as close as 10 minutes and some up to an hour [away]. It is the perfect place for us to visit family."

Plummer says that his short-term goals are to get better acquainted with Gray and Fire-Rescue members. His long-term goals are to make the great department even better. He will be working with members to formulate a five-year strategic plan for Gray Fire-Rescue.

"Working as a team we can accomplish a lot and always make improvements in how we do things for the residents of Gray," he explains. "I believe I have a good vision and can bring people together. I like to plan and team build around the plan that we as a team develop."

"I don't anticipate any major changes in the near future," adds Plummer. "Chief Barton, who served as chief for 20 years, did a great job with the department, and I plan to carry on some of his traditions and possibly add some new ones. The acting chief and other officers did a great job of keeping the department running smoothly when Chief Barton passed away last year."

To the people of Gray, Plummer says: "You have a great fire-rescue department; one that is very dedicated to the citizens of Gray. We will carry on that long tradition and make Gray very proud of the department. We are here 24/7. Come join us - we are always looking for new members."