Two Monterey County Regional Fire District leaders are set to retire this week

The time has come for two Monterey County Regional Fire District leaders to hang up their helmets and uniforms.

After more than 30 years of service, Fire Chief Michael Urquides and Deputy Fire Marshal Dorothy Priolo will retire. They are excited to begin a new chapter spending more time with family and loved ones, but describe their move to retirement as bittersweet.

As the veteran firefighters reflected on their work in Monterey County, they recalled where it all started.

Priolo represents a third generation of her family to serve in the fire service and was first hired as a fire prevention assistant for the district in1990.

"It's interesting because I did not set out to work in the fire service," she said. "I actually have a legal background."

She explained she was inspired to take on the opportunity thanks to what she had learned from watching her father and grandfather who both served as volunteer firefighters in their home state of New York.

"I was familiar with responding in unusual times and responding in different ways depending on what the needs were for a call or a disaster," she said. "It made perfect sense. It felt very natural to me."

Priolo served as the district's public information officer, a fire safety and prevention educator to other fellow firefighters and agencies, a board member of the Fire Prevention Officers Committee of the county's Fire Chiefs Association, and was even selected as the association's Fire Support Person of the Year in 1995 and 2006.

She says her most proud accomplishment was working with the Monterey County Housing and Community Development Agency to make the community safer for all.

"It's really heartwarming that the thing I keep hearing from people, as I check in with them, is that they appreciate how I've been able to work with them and help their projects succeed and get a fire safe environment for them," she said.

For Urquides, the path to his career as a firefighter came from an experience he had when he was 11 years old. A fire had engulfed his home on Old Stage Road just before Christmas in 1978.

"I saw the work that they did and they did a great job," he said. "They saved a lot of our personal property, but it was traumatic when all your clothes are on fire and the presents under the tree were compromised because of the smoke and fire damage."

Just a decade later, Urquides was working side-by-side with the very firefighters who helped him and his family.

Urquides always knew he wanted to climb the ranks.

He served as a volunteer fighter, seasonal firefighter for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and an emergency medical technician for the A-1 Ambulance Service before promoting to firefighter in 1990 and ultimately becoming chief in 2006.

One of his proudest accomplishments was combining the Carmel Valley Fire Department with Monterey County Regional in 2011.

"That's historic because that does not happen very often. You're bringing two families together," he said. "There's change, some people enjoy it and some people don't but really for the tax payers, it was a tremendous savings for both organizations and for many years to come. The taxpayers saw a significant improvement in the level of service."

While fire chief, Urquides established the paramedic program. The program started off with three paramedics and today there are 37 paramedics.

"That's saved a number of lives throughout the years and I think that's what I'll be known for is being a big proponent of advanced life support on firetrucks, especially in the rural community," he said. "I hope they will continue that, especially when we have budget short falls. I hope that will remain a priority in the community."

Priolo and Urquides say they are confident that the district will continue their work for the community successfully.

"The fire service is very resilient. Dorothy and I have always had a good succession plan, the right people. She's trained a bunch of us," Urquides said. "They'll continue to function and carry on."

Deputy Fire Chief David J. Sargenti will serve as Interim fire chief pending a hiring process. An internal promotion process to fulfill the deputy fire marshal position is underway and is expected to be finalized in January.

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Monterey County Regional Fire Department will see new leadership