Lakewood Fire Chief Timothy Dunphy To Retire

Respected Leader to Step Away After Decades of Service to Lakewood

On October 6, 2024, Timothy Dunphy will retire from his role as Chief of the Lakewood Fire Department following more than three decades of remarkable service to the people of Lakewood. Chief Dunphy’s tenure of leadership saw new programs and services introduced while maintaining the fire department’s high level of professionalism, service, and training.

“It’s been an incredible honor to have spent my entire career serving this great city with a group of selfless and talented firefighters here in the Lakewood Fire Department,” said Dunphy. “I’m proud to have carried on the tradition of excellence in our department and how we have worked together to keep Lakewood safe. I will miss my team and how rewarding this work has been, but I am also excited to see how our new leaders continue moving the fire department forward.”

Under Chief Dunphy’s leadership, the Lakewood Fire Department maintained its reputation for high caliber firefighting and emergency medical service while building new and improved programming and trainings. He introduced the Neighborhood Paramedic program, which focuses on providing home visits to help seniors with poor access to healthcare or whose homes may present high levels of risks for injury. The Fire Department also brought back the Car Seat Fit Stop program, which helps Lakewood parents with proper installation of child safety seats in their vehicles.

Innovative and thorough trainings were also the norm under Chief Dunphy, including everything from water rescue training to citywide emergency exercises to stay prepared. The Fire Department added its first female firefighter during Chief Dunphy’s tenure, and his efforts guiding the Department through unexpected challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Marine Towers West parking garage were exceptional.

Chief Dunphy began his career as a firefighter/paramedic in 1992 after graduating from Lakewood High School (he is known to proudly display a LHS Ranger sticker on his helmet). He rose up the ranks in the fire department over time, actively fighting fires and providing frontline services until he became Fire Marshal in 2011, a position he held until being promoted to Fire Chief in 2019. Chief Dunphy and his wife have four children together, and he looks forward to spending more time with his family during retirement.

Mayor Meghan F. George, who also serves as Safety Director of Lakewood, offered words of high praise for Chief Dunphy and his tenure with the Lakewood Fire Department.

“Chief Dunphy has been an outstanding public servant to Lakewood for more than three decades,” Said Mayor George. “He has dedicated his career to making Lakewood safer and taking care of its people. Since taking over as chief in 2019, he has shown excellent leadership and innovation by introducing new initiatives like the Neighborhood Paramedic Program, bringing back the Car Seat Fit Stop Program, and focusing on continuous training to keep our firefighters on the cutting edge of the industry. I am personally grateful to Chief Dunphy for his tireless work and his guidance to the mayor’s office on fire and emergency medical safety. His passion and enthusiasm for Lakewood and its people will be missed.”

Chief Dunphy will be succeeded by Lakewood’s current Fire Marshal, Ryan Fairbanks. Dunphy praised Fairbanks: “I’m excited to hand the baton off to Ryan Fairbanks, who is going to do a phenomenal job as Lakewood’s new fire chief. He has the experience, passion, and leadership skills to seamlessly step into the role and maintain our department’s culture of excellence.”

Chief Dunphy’s final official act will be to take part in Lakewood’s annual Firefighter Recognition Ceremony on Sunday, October 6^th. During the ceremony, Fairbanks will be sworn in as the new Fire Chief.

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