Gordon Wren Jr. Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News
“Gordon Wren Jr., who has guided Rockland County’s response to countless fires, floods, explosions, hurricanes, blizzards and other natural and man-made disasters, is retiring after more than a quarter century.
Wren, 70, of Wesley Hills, will leave his post as the county’s director of fire and emergency services on April 30.
Wren started with the county in 1977 as chief instructor, then became deputy fire coordinator in 1983. He was named fire coordinator in 1991 and assumed his current post in 1995.
He previously worked for the town of Ramapo as a fire inspector and then headed its Building and Zoning Department.
Wren said several factors drove his decision to step down.
“First of all, I’m 70. This is a very demanding job time-wise,” he said Friday during a telephone call from his office at the county Fire Training Center. “You’re on call 24 hours a day. And it’s tough on your family, the phones and pagers going off all day and night. And I didn’t want to be one of those old guys who didn’t know when to get out of the way.”
Wren said he was proud of how the county’s emergency services had matured over the years, and especially the fact that Rockland still has an all-volunteer fire service.
He has been at the forefront of efforts to eradicate illegal and substandard housing, especially in the town of Ramapo, and plans to remain active with the county’s Illegal Housing Task Force.”
Read the complete Journal News story here.