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Ready to be ‘Regular Joe Firefighter’ again

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Changing of the guard. Greg Sulhian congratulates new Fire Department Chief Anthony Reiter at the Center firehouse Monday evening.
BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Changing of the guard. Greg Sulahian congratulates new Fire Department Chief Anthony Reiter at the Center firehouse Monday evening.

When Greg Sulahian became chief of the Shelter Island Fire Department 17 months ago, he admits he had a big learning curve. He had expected to have another year as first assistant chief to learn the ropes, but when Will Anderson resigned as chief in November 2015, he was flung into the job and took it on with confidence, he said.

Still, after eight years in what’s known as “the chief’s line” and with children now grown, he and his wife Debbie agreed it’s time to have more time together and with their grandchildren.

When he spoke about giving up the job he could have held for another year, he was counting the days until April 24 when Anthony Reiter would be sworn in as chief.

“I just want to get back to being a regular Joe firefighter,” he said. A member of the fire department for 37 years, he has no plans to relax his commitment to responding to emergencies. But the chief said no longer having responsibilities for administrative work and directing operations at fire scenes is a big weight from his shoulders.

Looking back on his years in the chief’s line, two major events — neither of them fires — stand out as the most satisfying.

Each year, department members provide services to Camp Adventure, a program for kids with cancer and their siblings to spend a week each August at Camp Quinipet not as patients but just kids having fun. Typically, department members show up to wash the campers down after the annual shaving cream fight and return to host a barbecue for campers and staff.

The other event is the annual summer chicken barbecue he describes as “a lot of fun” even if it’s a great deal of work. Meant as a fundraiser for the department, it doesn’t bring in a great deal of money, but is “more of a community outreach,” he said.

During his tenure, Chief Sulahian said the fire prevention program has more houses equipped with fire and carbon monoxide detectors and more with proper signage that enables firefighters to identify sites quickly in an emergency.

As for the major accomplishment of his tenure, he points to getting the department incorporated. It provides more protection and oversight of money management, the chief said.

Looking back on his years working with the Board of Fire Commissioners, he termed the relationship “a good partnership” in which the department has received the support it needs to keep equipment up to date and in good working order.

Equipment such as thermal imaging cameras to find people in burning houses or boats have improved the Island firefighters’ ability to save lives and protect themselves, Chief Sulahian said.

Problems with the communications system are being addressed, but given the red tape the commissioners have to go through to gain permission for new towers, there’s no way to rush the bureaucracy, he added.

The chief shares with his successor concerns about recruiting younger members to the department, but noted the initial 78 hours of training plus many hours more for ongoing training make it difficult for working people to find the time.

“You’ve got to have time and resources,” the chief said. Membership is open to everyone — men and women — but  he said it’s difficult for young families to spare the time for training and responding to emergencies.

Looking back on his leadership role, Chief Sulahian the department is “a good group of guys. I enjoyed working with everybody.”