June 30th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

The Mayor and City Council announce the official retirement of City of Cumberland Fire Chief Donald Dunn as of July 1. Chief Dunn has been the Fire Chief for the past 11 years, and been of service to the City for a total of 44 years. Dunn’s career with the Cumberland Fire Department began on March 23, 1977 as a Firefighter, with a promotion to Lieutenant happening in 1987. He quickly was elevated to Captain in 1989, and again to Deputy Chief in 1991. He was appointed Interim Fire Chief on July 1, 2010 and then Fire Chief on March 1, 2011. While the past year has been especially difficult with the COVID pandemic, things have been made easier for Chief Dunn by the good people surrounding him at the Fire Department. He feels that the Department has the best officers and the most qualified and dedicated employees in the Department’s history. “Chief Dunn is very soft spoken and unassuming, but he has an intense desire to do the right thing for the City of Cumberland and the City’s Fire Department,” said Interim City Administrator and Director of Administrative Services, Ken Tressler. “Even though he is retiring, he is still pushing hard for his firefighters and the overall good of the department. I really respect that. He is a true pleasure to work with, and he will be greatly missed.” Until a new Fire Chief is officially selected, the Mayor and City Council have appointed W. Shannon Adams, the City’s Fire Marshall as the Interim Fire Chief. Mr. Adams has been with the City for 26 years and is well-positioned to take the reins after Chief Dunn’s retirement.