SKOWHEGAN — The town’s fire chief announced this week he plans to retire from his post after nearly three years leading the Skowhegan Fire Department and a total of 33 years in the fire service.

Ronald “Ronnie” Rodriguez announced his plans at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting during his department report, catching even some town officials by surprise.

Rodriguez said Thursday his last day at the fire station will likely be July 18, but factoring in remaining vacation time he will officially be done in early August. He chose to wait to step down until this year’s budget process was completed at the annual town meeting earlier this month.

Rodriguez said he is working with interim Town Manager Nicholas Nadeau on a transition plan.

Nadeau, speaking at this office Wednesday, said Rodriguez indicated he plans to help the town until his last day, while town officials assemble a committee to hire a new chief.

“He’s not jumping ship immediately,” said Nadeau, who came on board as the interim town manager earlier this month.

Rodriguez said his departure is a permanent retirement and that he does not plan to seek another job with another fire department.

“This is it,” Rodriguez told the Select Board. “This is where I’m hanging my hat.”

Rodriguez, 64, of Unity, was appointed Skowhegan’s fire chief in December 2022 after working for four years as Winslow’s fire chief.

Before that, Rodriguez worked for more than 25 years in his home state, Virginia, at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. When he left that agency, he was a battalion chief overseeing more than 60 uniformed employees at five stations and was responsible for the incident command of an approximately 36-square-mile area.

“The time has come for me to say goodbye,” Rodriguez said at Tuesday’s meeting. “And it’s time for me to retire and see what the next chapter brings. I have mixed emotions, no doubt, because of the love that I have for public service and seeing the outcome of the efforts that we put forth to mitigate emergencies for others.”

Rodriguez also thanked town officials for their support.

“I know there’s sometimes some things that don’t go very smoothly, but I love the process that this town has, and the voice that the townspeople have, and the conviction that everyone shares for trying to make this a better place,” he told the board. “I love this town. I know I’m not from here, but that doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about serving you and taking care of you.”

Rodriguez led a department in Skowhegan with 14 full-time staff and about a dozen call-force members. His salary was set at about $95,000 annually, according to the budget voters approved at town meeting in June.

During his time with the town, Rodriguez oversaw the department’s move in early 2024 from the historic fire station at 16 Island Ave. to the new public safety building at 51 East Madison Road. He also helped organize a new regional firefighter training program with other area chiefs.

In an interview Thursday, the chief said the best part about working in Skowhegan has been his staff of firefighters.

“They are some of the most professional, dedicated people I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “Their sense of pride in what they bring to the community is unmatched. They live to take care of the people here in this town, and their commitment to training and being prepared is top notch.”

Rodriguez recalled several major incidents that stand out over his more than three decades. He responded to the Pentagon on 9/11 and said he was on scene for two days. He also earned a gold medal of valor for his role in a potentially deadly propane-related incident.

Fire calls that Rodriguez’s department responded to during his time in Skowhegan ranged from dumpster fires and industrial incidents to fatal house fires and river rescues.

One of the biggest improvements Rodriguez said he has observed over 33 years in the fire service is more awareness of first responders’ mental health. Firefighters and others, like police officers, EMS providers and dispatchers, deal with death and trauma on a regular basis, coming into contact with people on their worst days, he said.

“You can’t do and see and experience the things that we do and have it not affect you,” Rodriguez said. “It absolutely does.”

Despite such challenges, Rodriguez said he will miss his longtime job. Those in the fire service develop family-like bonds, as they work together for 24-hour shifts and decompress together after difficult calls, he said.

“Truly, I’ve probably spent more time with people in the fire service than my own family,” Rodriguez said.

Whitney Cunliffe, who was elected chair of the Select Board on Tuesday, spoke on behalf of the board, thanking Rodriguez for his service to Skowhegan. Rodriguez also received multiple rounds of applause from those in attendance at the meeting.

Select Board member Elijah Soll said he felt like he was just starting to get to know Rodriguez, having only been on the board for one year.

“The few real quality conversations that we’ve had — I’ll miss that,” Soll said.

Rodriguez said he plans to stay in Maine, where he moved seven years ago because his wife and her family are from the state.

Otherwise, Rodriguez said he has no firm plans for what comes next in his retirement. In Virginia, he used to be an avid beekeeper, owning more than 20 hives and selling honey to four stores. He also enjoys wildlife photography, and hopes to visit his grandchildren in Virginia a few times each year.

“I always try to think of myself as a regular, everyday Joe,” Rodriguez said. “But now, for real, I am. It’s going to be good.”