East Lyme — When East Lyme native Richard "Dick" Morris started out as a volunteer in the Niantic Fire Department as a teenager, he found he couldn't get enough of the fire service.

The firehouse was a good place to volunteer, get involved and support the community. He enjoyed seeing the fire apparatus and hearing all the stories from members of the department, he said. Over their years in the fire service, they had learned the history of the department and built camaraderie.

The "memories and experiences and training from 1969 until today have been invaluable," he said in a recent interview.

Fire safety became a lifelong career for Morris. He became fire inspector in 1986 and was hired in 1990 as the full-time deputy fire marshal. He worked his way up to assistant fire chief of the Niantic Fire Department until stepping into the town's fire marshal position in 1991, when Fire Marshal Peter Lamb moved on to become fire chief in Lisbon, Maine.  Morris also served as the town's emergency management director.

After 27 years as fire marshal, Morris, 65, retired last Thursday.

First Selectman Mark Nickerson said that as fire marshal Morris has overseen a lot of the growth of the town and as emergency management director has guided the town during emergencies, such as coordinating efforts in restoring power and opening the regional emergency shelter during storms.

"He was the one I'd always turn to for help," Nickerson said. "Dick holds a lot of the town's history in his head and heart. He knows how things get done, because he set them up, and he's done them. We're sure going to miss him."

Morris said the fantastic people he's had the opportunity to meet — and sometimes help — over the years has been his favorite part of the job.

"It's been more fun building and forging the friendships and working relationships that I've been able to enjoy for all these years," said Morris, who will continue to be a member of the Niantic Fire Department.

A challenging, but rewarding part of the fire marshal job is staying on top of all the codes that change every couple of years, and being able on a moment's notice to start the dialogue and research the facts about what needs to be done, he said.

"You have to continuously stay trained and on top of what's happening in the changing times that we have," he said, and it's important to understand the fire, building construction, and safety codes of the state.

Morris said it's a seven day a week/24 hours a day job that requires problem-solving, building partnerships and establishing a network of outside resources to call upon when confronting a challenge.

Morris helped build a communications network for the community. One way that is done is through the East Lyme Public Safety Facebook page that the emergency management department created after Superstorm Sandy, at the suggestion of a resident. The department posts information about storms and weather, and safety messages and notices. Last month, for example, it informed residents that Millstone was planning a training session.

Through all the tasks — which range from inspecting annually the businesses in town to preparing for storms with other towns in the region — Morris said the "love of the job" motivates him. 

His work beyond East Lyme includes serving as the chairman of the board of directors for the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association and immediate past president of the Connecticut chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators. He is also the town's harbormaster and races sailboats as a hobby.

Morris said it's been a good career and he now feels it's time to retire. In his retirement, he plans to spend time with his new grandson, due to be born this month. He will volunteer as a part-time deputy fire marshal and continue to be involved in the community.

With the retirement of Morris, Chris Taylor, who was the town's full-time deputy fire marshal, will become the fire marshal and Police Chief Michael Finkelstein will  assume the duties of the Emergency Management Director. Finkelstein, 47, the former mayor of Ledyard and a retired Ledyard Police lieutenant, is East Lyme's first police chief of the independent police department that started in July.

Taylor and Finkelstein will take over as co-chairmen leading a working group of emergency managers in the region that meet to discuss emergency management needs.

"We’re looking forward to continuing what Dick has been doing over his tenure," Finkelstein said, adding that he has a great deputy in Taylor, who will remain deputy emergency management director.

Taylor, 44, who grew up in East Lyme, said he enjoys the daily interaction with people, getting out and doing inspections, seeing the people who live and work in town, and visiting the schools. Just as Morris was fire marshal when the town's middle school was being built, Taylor will be part of the project to renovate the town's elementary schools.

"Just growing up here my whole life, it's nice to be able to give back to the community that gave back to me," Taylor said.

Taylor started as a part-time deputy fire marshal in 1999 and was hired as the full-time deputy fire marshal in 2003, working alongside Morris.

"He's been a good, trusted, reliable partner," Morris said about Taylor.

As fire marshal, Taylor said he wants to make sure to continue what Morris was a part of, including the daily inspections and being a resource to the fire departments, police department and schools.

Taylor considers Morris as his mentor. Morris taught Taylor his first firefighter 101 class in 1993 and later sent Taylor to fire marshal school when an opportunity for an open spot came up.

"I've always been very grateful of that," he said.

Finkelstein said that in his time as East Lyme's police chief it's been great to work with Morris.

"Dick obviously has been an institution in town, and it's been great to work with him in the past nine months," Finkelstein said. "We’re definitely wishing him the best in his retirement."

k.drelich@theday.com