Eugene Springfield Fire Chief, Randy Groves is retiring on April 29, 2016.
Chief Groves started with the City of Eugene in 1980 and has been a part of tremendous changes throughout the fire service. He worked his way through the ranks of Firefighter, acting Engineer, Captain, District Chief, Deputy Chief and finally, Chief of Department. He also has served on the Hazardous Materials and Water Rescue Teams, and was the first team leader of the Water Rescue Team. He took the helm of Eugene Fire and EMS in 2006.
During his tenure as Chief, he has continued that path of great change, embracing new ideas and technology to better serve the community. He was instrumental in the fire service merger initiative with the City of Springfield to create Eugene Springfield Fire. This system produced a more efficient and effective service delivery system that was evident in three community impact events, the Swanson Mill Fire, Civic Stadium Fire and South Towne Lanes Fire. For almost 6 years, he has guided this merged organization in protecting the communities of Eugene and Springfield without regard to city boundaries. He also led significant changes in the EMS and ambulance transport system and developed a public/private partnership to create a more efficient and effective ambulance transport system, and developed a partnership with the Life Flight Network in partnership with past Springfield Fire Chief Dennis Murphy bringing air ambulance service to the region. Under Chief Groves’ watch, the department has acquired numerous grants and developed one of the best training programs in the State which utilizes computer simulated training for both Incident Command and driving. Chief Groves is also very proud of the relationships he has developed within our communities, with our elected officials, with labor and with agencies across the State. Throughout the many challenges, Chief Groves’ focus remained steady on what is best for those we serve.
As his 36 year career here comes to a close, almost 37 years overall in the fire service, the Cities of Eugene and Springfield would like to extend their appreciation for his dedicated service.