Richland Township honors retired fire chief

Richland supervisors honored the recently retired chief of the Richland Township Volunteer Fire Department during their meeting Wednesday evening.

Jim Kelly served as the department chief for 15 years, opting to retire in 2024 after 28 years of service.

Richland Manager Brian O’Malley thanked Kelly for his “dedication and devotion” in a dedicatory proclamation from the township.

The board offered Kelly a commemorative wooden sign and wished him a retirement “as bright as his legacy.”

“A lot of times, volunteers think they’re left behind and not thought of, so to see a recognition like this really reminds us that we are valued and looked after,” Kelly said. “It’s great to see the support.”

State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer, R-Pine, also read a proclamation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, thanking Kelly for “his service, which far exceeds those standards normally ascribed as exemplary.”

Dave McWilliams took over as department chief last year while Kelly’s son, Jim Kelly Jr., took on the role of assistant chief.

Kelly Jr. said it will “definitely be weird” without his father at the helm, but he hopes to live up to his dad’s example.

Though Kelly has shed his role as chief, he said he will remain on the department’s board of directors. In his retirement, he said he’s finally looking forward to a full night’s sleep.