At the start of the year, Rindge officially welcomed Robert Faas Jr. as the new director of Public and Life Safety.
Faas is familiar to the the town, having worked as a Rindge Fire Department lieutenant from 1991 to 2001, and on the Franklin Pierce Fire Department while a student there, where he began his 34-year firefighting career. Faas has also served on the Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance service and the Speedway Safety Services in Claremont.
“It is an honor to step into the role of fire chief and to have the opportunity to serve alongside each of you,” Faas said in a press release announcing his appointment. “Our department has a strong legacy of dedication, professionalism, and service to the community, and I am committed to building upon that foundation.”
Faas holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the then-Franklin Pierce College, and completed a master of business administration degree at Southern New Hampshire University last year.
From 2021 through 2025, he worked for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service in Montgomery County, Maryland. Faas was a captain with the Montgomery fire service, served as the safety officer for Maryland Task Force One’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, and was a safety officer and training committee chair for the National Capital Region Incident Management Team.
Faas plans to relocate to Rindge and start his full-time duties with the Fire Department in February.
He said that over the first few months of his tenure, he would focus on “listening, learning and ensuring that every member feels valued, supported and empowered.”
In addition to his years in the fire service, Faas also has experience in teaching and training, including as a Maryland Instructor Certification Review Board instructor since 2008, and as both an adjunct and lead instructor at the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Training Academy.
Faas has also instructed with the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society, which is an organization dedicated to preserving the tradition and heritage of the fire service and providing training opportunities and supporting firefighters and their families in need. He has been the president of the Central Maryland chapter of F.O.O.L.S. and Vice President of the F.O.O.L.S. International.
Faas is currently an instructor with On Scene Training Associates, which provides training courses and consulting services.
Faas and his wife Heather have been married for 20 years, have four children and seven grandchildren.