Michael P. Carey, a veteran of the city's public safety contingent, has been chosen as the new Chief of the East Providence Fire Department.

Carey officially took over the position on Tuesday, Feb. 27. He replaced Glenn Quick, who retired as EPFD chief late last year.

“I am truly honored to be selected by Mayor Dasilva as the 17th Fire Chief in the long and proud history of the East Providence Fire Department,” Carey said. “I have dedicated years of my life to serving in East Providence and this will be the next exciting chapter in my career. As the Fire Chief, I am excited to work with everyone in our organization to enhance fire and emergency services for the residents of East Providence. We will work tirelessly to keep our community and personnel safe.”

Carey served in the role as the interim upon Quick's departure. Mayor Bob DaSilva appointed Carey to the job  full time after interviews of candidates was conducted by a panel of local officials.

“We are proud to announce that Michael P. Carey has been chosen to serve as East Providence’s Fire Chief,” DaSilva said. “He has successfully served as Acting Chief and has proven his dedication to the East Providence Fire Department and the residents of this great city over his 33 years of service to the Department.

“The endeavors of the East Providence Fire Dept. may seem rudimentary since they are integrated into the EPFD’s day-to-day operations, but there is so much more to what the Department offers. Under Carey’s leadership, there will be fresh approaches on how to improve systems and a focus on developing new pathways to efficient service while also decreasing costs and saving lives. We are excited for his new role in leading the EPFD forward.”

Carey served as acting chief since November 18, 2023 when Quick announced he would be stepping away after a 37-year career and some five as the chief. He's been an EPFD firefighter for more than 33 years, 25 of those years in a supervisory capacity as a fire officer and the last seven years of which, as Chief Officer.

A recipient of the Medal of Valor Service Bar, the National Disaster Response Service Bar, and the Citation Service Bar Star, to name a few, Carey began his career as a firefighter with the East Providence Fire Department in 1990 and has risen through the ranks to Fire Lieutenant, Assistant Fire Marshal, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator, Fire Captain and Battalion Chief.

Carey was a founding member and the first EPFD Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team’s Operations Officer, establishing training and policies to maintain hazardous materials responses capabilities for a 34-member Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team.

He also wrote, acquired and managed more than $17 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) for equipment, training and fire station construction. Most recently, Carey was responsible for overseeing the $1.4 million renovation and rollout of the city’s Public Safety Communication Center.

In addition to his duties with the EPFD, Carey currently serves as a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Association, and the National Fire Protection Association. He also earned the designation of Chief Fire Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s Commission on Professional Credentialing.

Carey earned his Master of Public Administration degree, with a focus on Fire and Emergency Services in 2022 as well as his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science in 2021, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Anna Maria College.