The Block Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department has a new fire chief: Bain Transue.
After a Fire Department meeting on Monday, Jan. 11, the department posted the following message online:
“At our Jan. 11 meeting tonight, Kirk Littlefield handed over the reign of fire chief to Bain Transue. The Department would like to thank Kirk for his longtime service, especially this past year, and we are all proud to have Bain stepping into this role.”
The Block Island Times reached out to Kirk Littlefield and newly-elected Fire Chief Bain Transue to hear their thoughts on their dedication and service with the Fire Department as fire chiefs.
The following interviews were edited for clarity and length.
Newly-elected Fire Chief Bain Transue
Q: What made you interested in joining the BIVFRD and how long have you been serving with the department?
Bain Transue: As with many of us, the events on Sept. 11 changed the course of my life. Feeling the obligation to serve, in 2002 I joined the Fire Department and began the process of enlisting in the U.S. Army. Once returning to work and life on the island after my deployment to Afghanistan, then-Chief Kirk Littlefield reached