DRACUT — The Dracut Fire Department is pleased to report that Michael Cunha has been sworn in as the next Chief of the Department, taking over for Chief Richard Patterson, who retired on Wednesday from a nearly 40-year career in EMS and the fire service. 

Chief Patterson began his career working as an EMT for Baystate Ambulance in 1986. He became a call firefighter with the Dracut Fire Department in December 1988, and a full-time Dracut firefighter in March 1995. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2000, Captain in 2002, and Deputy Chief in 2002. Patterson became Chief of the Department in September 2021.

During his tenure he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education, and an Associate's degree in Fire Science. 

Chief Cunha is an 18-year veteran of the Dracut Fire Department. Hired in 2006, he was promoted to provisional Lieutenant in 2015, and to Captain in 2016.

He was sworn in Monday by Town Clerk Jayne Boissonneault, with firefighters, town officials and family in attendance. Patterson bid farewell to the department at a retirement party held Wednesday at Fire Department Headquarters on Pleasant Street.

Chief Cunha thanked his wife, Jill Cunha, Chief Patterson, and all the firefighters on the department for their support and confidence.

"As your Fire Chief, I’m dedicated to fostering a culture of safety, innovation and teamwork," Chief Cunha said after his swearing in. "We face many challenges, from increasing demands on our service to the need for ongoing training and support. We will face these challenges head-on and together. We have a great group of firefighters and a solid core of officers that I look forward to working with."

At the retirement party two days later, Lt. Shane O'Donnell, president of the Dracut Firefighters Union, said the department made quantum leaps under Chief Patterson. Lt. O'Donnell credited Patterson for maintaining a strong relationship with labor throughout his tenure. 

"We have enacted organizational changes that saw our department create 24-hour incident command for the first time in the department's history," said Lt. O'Donnell. "We have seen a large influx of vehicle replacements and apparatus purchases that have been a multimillion dollar investment into our department. We have sustained the highest level of staffing on apparatus on a day-to-day basis that this department has ever seen." 

Tony Archinski, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, presented Chief Patterson with a citation from the Town. 

Deputy Chief Thomas Mackey told a story of the last fire that Patterson fought as a firefighter. It was just a few weeks ago at a home where there was a report of a possible basement fire.

Patterson was nearby and arrived first at the scene in Car 1 — a command vehicle that has no water tanks, hoses, or firefighting equipment in it. Patterson saw smoke coming from the home's basement and reported smoke showing, a typical sign of a significant fire.

But when Patterson entered the home's basement to investigate, he found a coat rack on fire in the basement, and a garden hose nearby. Patterson, who often tells others that firefighting is a team sport, singlehandedly used the garden hose to extinguish the fire in the coat rack. By the time the first engine arrived the fire was out. 

Deputy Mackey gifted Patterson a new garden hose to use in his retirement. 

Chief Patterson thanked his family, including his wife, and his two sons, who are firefighters in Salem, N.H. and Lowell. He encouraged Chief Cunha to reach out to retired chiefs anytime he needed advice or support. 

"It's been an honor and a privilege to have served the residents of Dracut and the Dracut Fire Department for 36 years," said Chief Patterson. "It was a great ride with a great group of people. Under the leadership of Chief Cunha, the department will continue to provide top-notch services for the community."