Upcoming Events

There are currently no events
View All Events

Web Counters
Website Visitors
Since
May 1, 2019
433,120
Visitors Today
Oct 13, 2024
142
Richmond-Carolina Deputy Chief Keith Place bids farewell to Rhode Island
Email Print RSS Facebook Twitter RSS

By Cynthia Drummond, The Westerly Sun
March 8, 2021

Congratulations to Carolina Deputy Chief Keith Place. A great friend of the RI Southern League!

RICHMOND — Never one to blow his own horn, Keith Place is leaving Richmond quietly and without fanfare after decades of service to the town.

Richmond Carolina Fire Chief Scott Barber served for 40 years with Place, who was deputy chief of the department, and said Place delivered the retirement news over a slice of pizza.

“He came to me about a month ago and sat down, brought me some fresh pizza and said, ‘I got something to tell you,’” he said. “He came in with Borelli Bakery pizza from Coventry, so I knew it was important.”

Place, who also served as town sergeant, was known in the community for his calm demeanor. Richmond Police Chief Elwood Johnson described him as unflappable.

“His command of his temperament is really amazing,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen him in a number of different capacities and he is always steady, calm, collected, in control of his emotions … he’s just a real guy.”

Barber said he never saw Place lose his cool.

“He was very calm, very level-headed, clear thinking, you know? He never got shook,” he said.

Barber and Place not only fought fires together, they are close friends. A justice of the peace, Place performed the wedding ceremony for Barber’s son Seth, and his wife, Kayla.

“That’s who my son wanted, because he grew up knowing Keith as ‘Uncle Keith’” he said. “Keith’s been there through everything … he’s a man of few words. In all the years he and I have been friends, we’ve never had a disagreement. He’s just one of those guys you could always depend on.”

Place said he had enjoyed watching Barber’s rise through the ranks in the fire department.

“I’ve known him for a long time,” he said. “We became best friends and it was great working with him, seeing him come up through the ranks and become chief. He’s done a great job. He’s done a lot for the department.”

A lifelong resident of Richmond, Place, now 61, joined the fire department when he was 21.

“I just happened to be going by a house one day when they had a house fire, and I said, ‘boy, I could help them out.’ I didn’t plan on getting into it deep, but I ended up becoming an officer, then lieutenant, captain ... up to deputy chief. All I wanted to do was just help them out, you know?” Place said.

Place and his longtime partner, Jean, have bought a house in a retirement community in Florida and Place’s father, Neil, who served as Richmond police chief for 18 years, will be moving to Florida with them.

Place said that he would be taking with him lots of memories, both good and bad, of his life as a Richmond firefighter.

“We had a few bad ones,” he recalled. “The children down in Shannock that passed away in a house fire. That was a bad one.”

Asked what he would miss most about Richmond, Place didn’t hesitate.

“I’m going to miss the people,” he said. “You know, I’ve been here all my life. I’ve seen change. They said the town was going to go to pieces when they put Howard Johnson’s in, because it was [open] 24 hours.”

Town Administrator Karen Pinch said Place had been a well-liked and steadfast member of the community.

“Keith Place and his family have been a big part of the Richmond community for many, many years,” she said. “Keith has been the town sergeant for as long as I have been town administrator, almost six years, and we have always been able to count on him to be at our meetings when we needed him. He has also served the community as a member of the Richmond Carolina Fire Department and will definitely be missed by many people in our area.”

As Place begins his new life in Florida, Barber said he would miss their strong personal and professional relationships.

“I’m just going to miss him, you know?” he said. “It’s going to be a tough, tough transition.”

Hyperlinks: The Westerly Sun
 

Add a Comment Add a Comment 2 Comment(s)

Kevin D Quinn March 08, 2021 at 10:08 PM
Congratulations Keith!!! Thank you for your outstanding service

Kevin


Rhode Island Southern Firefighters League October 03, 2021 at 5:38 PM



Website Designed and Hosted By: Content Proudly Maintained By: Contact Info:
Firehouse Solutions
www.FirehouseSolutions.com
Rhode Island Southern Firefighters League
PO Box 25
Hope Valley, RI 02832
Emergency Dial 911
E-mail: info@risouthernleague.com
Copyright © 2024 Firehouse Solutions (A Service of Technology Reflections, Inc.)