After nearly 17 years, Patrick Borrelli will resign as the fire chief for Gustine’s Fire Department at the end of this month after he announced his resignation during last week’s city council meeting, officially leaving an opening for someone else to take the helm of fire chief.
Borrelli felt that it was time for someone else to take over as the fire chief. He anticipated resigning around this time last year, but due to the fire department dealing with dual staffing and the city of Gustine not having a city manager at the time, Borrelli decided to wait another year. Soknirorn Than was named city manager in February 2024, following Anna Nicholas’ resignation from the position in 2023.
“I just felt it’s time for someone else to take on that role. I feel that the city is in good standing. We have an awesome city manager (Than) right now that’s pretty well-engaged, and the city staff is pretty well and tuned,” Borrelli said. “I felt that it’s a good time to step away from the position and let someone else take the reins.”
Borrelli will stay within the fire department as a firefighter after his resignation is official.
Borrelli said that the nominations for positions within the fire department began on the last Monday in January. With Borrelli stepping down, Richard Martin was nominated by Mike Martin to become the next fire chief. A meeting will be held on February 24 to vote on the nominated positions, including the next fire chief.
As Borrelli prepares for someone else to take over the reins as fire chief, a moment during his tenure that stood dear to him was getting a grant for a new fire truck in 2019, Engine 306. Throughout the grant process, former CAL FIRE Captain Paul Rotondaro worked with city staff to get the grant for the fire department. Rotondaro was killed in a car crash in October 2019.
“[Rotondaro] worked on the grant of getting the new fire engine that we have, Engine 306. So that was a pretty big accomplishment that we did,” Borrelli said.
Borrelli’s journey to where he is today started in 1985 when he was a volunteer for the fire department. Upon there, he climbed up the ranks within the Gustine Fire Department. After being a volunteer, Borrelli became a training officer and then was nominated to become the second and first assistant fire chief. In 2007, he took over the reins as the fire department’s fire chief.
For anyone who wants to become a firefighter, Borrelli’s advice is to be committed to the profession.
“You gotta just be committed to becoming a volunteer,” Borrelli said. “The time that takes to do it, it’s a big commitment,”
As Borrelli steps down from the position that he’s held for more than a decade, he credited the staff around him for making his job easier.
“It’s just been an awesome opportunity for me to be the fire chief for almost 17 years,” Borrelli said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the cooperation of everybody, the community [and] city staff.”
Navtej Hundal is a freelance journalist in Stanislaus County
