BARRINGTON — Richard “Rick” Walker Jr. has announced his retirement as the town’s fire chief, effective on June 30. His retirement will mark over 40 years of involvement in Barrington’s Fire Department and 25 years as the chief.
Walker was Barrington’s first certified firefighter and the Fire Department’s first full-time employee (as chief). His tenure as chief spanned a time period where Barrington’s population increased 33% and the department’s call volume grew by 125%, according to town leaders.
Walker worked closely with town leaders regarding his plans to retire and in the past few years, and his leadership efforts have shifted to preparing the Fire and Rescue Department for his departure. A part of this planning has been asking the community to increase staffing levels to ensure the high-level of service experienced by the members of the community continues as the volunteer force shrinks, according to town leaders…