Fire chief is retiring after about 3 decades

Thursday, April 26, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

Henderson Fire Chief Joe Hill will retire May 10 after 27 years with the department. He will be replaced by Deputy Chief Jim Cavalieri.

Hill, 56, joined the fire department as a firefighter in 1974 and rose through the ranks, serving as engineer, captain, battalion chief and assistant chief before being named fire chief in 1996.

During his career, Henderson's population rose from 19,000 to more than 200,000. As the town grew, the role of the fire department changed from a service geared primarily toward putting out fires to one that today spends much of its available resources making house calls for the infirm and providing paramedic assistance at accident scenes.

Under Hill's leadership, the fire department distinguished itself as the first in Nevada and the 14th in the nation to receive accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. In 1999 the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services accreditated the department, making it the first in the West and the fourth in the nation.

Over the last year Hill oversaw the openings of three new fire stations. Another station, the city's eighth, is under construction.

Hill moved to Henderson from eastern Oregon in 1952. He graduated from Basic High School in 1962. He and his wife, Cynthia, have one son and two grandchildren.