West Chester names new fire chief

A 25-year veteran of the West Chester Fire Department has officially been appointed its new fire chief.

Trustees voted Tuesday, Dec. 15, on a resolution to appoint Rick Prinz to the position at a salary of $110,500.

Being chosen for the position is "an extreme privilege" and honor, Rick Prinz previously told the Journal-News.

“It’s very humbling to assume this position and to realize you’re responsible for not only the workforce that’s underneath me, but also keeping in mind the 61,000 residents we have, plus the corporate citizens,” he said. “It’s kind of overwhelming, to be honest.”

Prinz served as interim fire chief after the retirement of Tony Goller earlier this year. He has been with the West Chester Fire Department since 1990. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2000 and captain in 2003. In 2007, Prinz was promoted to assistant chief and began to oversee fire operations activities.

Prinz is a 20-year resident of the township.

Asked previously by the Journal-News about one specific thing he wants to tackle in the first year of his being chief, Prinz said, “There’s a long list of challenges that I’ll face as fire chief.”

“The biggest thing that I’m looking to do in this position is to make sure that we’re making decisions that keep the residents in mind and will make West Chester sustainable well into the future,” he said. “I want to make decisions today that I know we can support 10, 15, 20 years from now.”

The fire chief oversees the operation of the West Chester Fire Department, which employs 124 career and part-time firefighters/paramedics/EMTs and five administrative personnel, including two assistant chiefs.

Prinz’s father, Peter, and daughter, Dayna, participated in the pinning ceremony at Tuesday’s meeting, according to a press release from the township.