'There's nothing better than helping people': Hackensack has a new fire chief
HACKENSACK — Anthony Riehl, a city native and 24-year veteran of the city Fire Department, has been promoted to fire chief. He succeeds former Chief Thomas Freeman, who retired in September after four decades with the department.
Deputy Chief John Niland, who was named acting chief when Freeman left the department, retired on April 24 after a 37-year career.
Riehl joined the Fire Department in September 2000, shortly after his daughter, Julianna, was born. He was 24 when he took the tests to become a police officer or firefighter in his hometown.
“I actually scored higher on the police test, but fire called first,” said Riehl, who is 47. “I went to fire and fell in love with the place. I thought, 'This is what I was put here to do.'”
He rose through the ranks of the 106-member department and was named lieutenant in 2012, captain in 2019 and deputy chief in 2022.
"It’s really almost a little bit surreal, to be honest, to have made it to this level and lead this department I’ve devoted so much time to. It feels great,” he said. “There’s nothing better than helping people on their worst day. And the brotherhood and the camaraderie — every firefighter will tell you, it’s the greatest job in the world.”
Riehl’s family history in Hackensack goes back four generations, to the early 1900s, when his great-grandparents bought a house in the city after they came to the U.S. from Italy.
Riehl grew up in that home, attended Jackson Avenue School and graduated from Hackensack High School in 1994.
Riehl’s wife, Heather, and daughter, Julianna, both work as nurses, and his son, Shane, is a firefighter in South Carolina.
“The whole family revolves around helping people. We take this type of business very seriously,” Riehl said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
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He assumed the role of chief on May 1 with a salary of $197,500. He said his priority is getting new equipment, like updated self-contained breathing apparatus, devices worn by firefighters to provide breathable air in dangerous conditions, and eventually a couple of new trucks.
He is also looking to bring new technology to the department that can give information on how much air a firefighter has in the pack, if they are not breathing and if they have activated a “man down” signal.
"Chief Riehl's lifelong dedication to our city and his exemplary service within the fire department made him the ideal candidate for this promotion,” Mayor John Labrosse said in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence in his ability to guide our fire department with integrity and professionalism."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Nothing better than helping people': Hackensack has a new fire chief
