As I say goodbye to Sandisfield and my time as your Fire Chief comes to an end, I leave incredibly proud of what we accomplished together.

A year ago, we set out with a simple mission: strengthen the emergency response system, raise the standard, and make sure that when someone called for help, someone answered.

Together, we did that.

We achieved a 100% response rate without missing calls for service. We strengthened staffing and training, improved our capabilities, and placed a second ambulance into service.

We also proved that being a small rural town doesn't mean you have to think small. Through expanded EMS operations, the IFT program, and a willingness to think outside the box, we generated more than $230,000 in just five months-putting the department on a path where that revenue could cover most, if not all, of its operating budget. [Editor's note: This process and the amount are in dispute.]

But our greatest accomplishment wasn't a number.

It was the community that rallied behind us.

Firefighters and EMTs stepped up. Residents showed up. Town officials supported investments. People embraced change and believed Sandisfield deserved an emergency response system it could depend on.

Public safety doesn't begin when the tones drop. It begins long before-with training, equipment, staffing, preparation, and a community willing to stand behind the people who answer.

When someone calls 911 on the worst day of their life, they have one question:

Is someone coming?

Our responsibility was to make sure the answer was yes.

Coming to Sandisfield as an outsider also gave me a perspective on this town that I hope is worth leaving behind. Sandisfield is an incredible small town filled with people who care deeply about their community. With that passion come strong opinions and disagreements-and that's okay.

The person sitting next to you at Town Meeting who sees something differently is not your enemy.

They are your neighbor.

Don't allow old politics, history, or yesterday's disagreements to determine tomorrow. We showed that change can be good when people are willing to embrace it, and that this small town is capable of accomplishing big things when people come together.

The Sandisfield patch represents more than a Fire Department.

It represents the trust of an entire community.

Continue expecting excellence from those who wear it, continue giving them the support necessary to achieve it, and never allow "good enough" to become the standard.

If there is anything I hope remains from my time here, it is that:

Never settle. Never stop improving. Never stop showing up for one another.

Keep supporting your emergency services.

Keep taking care of your neighbors-even the ones you disagree with.

Keep demanding excellence.

And keep moving Sandisfield forward.

For a chapter of my life, I had the privilege of being your Fire Chief.

I will always be proud of that.

Thank you, Sandisfield.

It was an honor to serve you.

Michael Grillo
Former Fire Chief

The Firing of Chief Grillo