A fireman's life: Ron Puccinelli retires after 48 years with Woodside fire district A fireman's life: Ron Puccinelli retires after 48 years with Woodside fire district (August 17, 2005)

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

Woodside firefighters bid a fond farewell to Battalion Chief Ron Puccinelli at a retirement lunch celebrating his 48 years of service with the Woodside Fire Protection District.

Barbecued ribs and gentle ribbing were the menu of the day at the gathering in the garage of the Woodside Road fire station on August 10.

Mr. Puccinelli, 65, joined the fire district as a 17-year-old when then-Chief John Volpiano asked him if he wanted a summer job. It was 1957, and Mr. Puccinelli was living with his family on Canada Road and had just graduated from Sequoia High School.

He rose through the ranks to become a battalion chief, and with his background in auto mechanics and construction, he was a natural for the job of overseeing the district's facilities and equipment, said Chief Mike Fuge.

Among the family and friends at the event was his younger brother Phil, who is also a Woodside firefighter, and who retired last September.

"I wish everyone could enjoy their careers as much as I have," Mr. Puccinelli said. "I loved every minute."

In 1977, the Almanac ran a story about Mr. Puccinelli's record of having worked for the district for 20 years without ever taking a sick day. He'd thought about it, especially when the chief was mad at him, but conceded that, "I've never been the type of person that can hide by staying home from work."

"I just never get sick," said then-Capt. Puccinelli.

Chief Fuge offered a bit of tongue-in-cheek praise, saying that no one spent money on equipment as well as Mr. Puccinelli. He recalled one incident, when the fire chief at the time had 10 unauthorized bills signed by Mr. Puccinelli lined up on his desk.

"Ron Puccinelli doesn't get rattled. He goes to the bathroom," said Chief Fuge, as the audience burst out laughing. "When I told him that Chief Kitto was madder than heck about the bills, he said, 'I have to go to the bathroom!'"

Interspersed with the teasing -- his brother Phil made him recount the two times he was nearly fired -- colleagues thanked him for being a father figure and a friend. By the luncheon's end, the fire station was full of red eyes and quavering mustaches.

Mr. Puccinelli said he was honored so many people had come to wish him well, especially firefighters from the Palo Alto, Redwood City, Foster City, San Mateo and Central County fire departments.

"I'll miss the camaraderie and the friendship," he said.

He attributed his longevity with the district to his unfailingly good health.

"I've been blessed with, obviously, really good health," he said. "I don't know what I did to deserve it."

Besides a long "honey-do" list his wife Diane says has been untouched in decades, Mr. Puccinelli does have another pursuit to keep him occupied in his retirement. He is a devoted "Jeeper," with a highly modified Jeep designed to withstand rugged off-road treks, such as the Rubicon trail in the Sierras.

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