Pendleton’s Critchley retires, Pierotti steps up

PENDLETON – Pendleton Fire & Ambulance Chief Jim Critchley is spending his last day on the job today (Tuesday). Tomorrow, Assistant Chief Tony Pierotti takes the reins.

Critchley came to Pendleton from Tucson, Arizona, where he served as chief until he retired there. He’s been in Pendleton for about five years, and said it’s time for him to go back to Tucson.

“I started my fifth year here and then some friends of family passed away and I realized I was a long way from Tucson,” he said. “We just don’t know how long we’ll be on the earth so I’m going to stay there with the people that love me, and I love them.”

He said one of the most important things that happened in the department during his tenure was building trust.

“That’s trust with the administration, trust with the community,” he said. “We ended up developing programs that we were more involved in the community than before.”

He also said one of the big changes was when the city council helped him pick up a $1.7 million ladder truck.

Pierotti is also from Tucson and learned about the assistant chief opening from Critchley’s wife. He says Critchley has been a valuable mentor and he wants to continue what’s already begun.

“We have built a good foundation of a system,” he said. “It’s based on trust, which takes time. I think, in the past, having this revolving door of chiefs meant there was no trust.”

Photo: Retiring Fire Chief Jim Critchley

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Elkhorn Media Group

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