City of Rome Announces New Fire Department Chief

The City of Rome now has a new Fire Chief. Mayor Jeff Lanigan and Public Safety Commissioner Ken White announced this week that David L. Gratch will be only the 14th Fire Chief in department history, dating back to 1891. Gratch will be replacing Chief Thomas Iacovissi who's served as the City's Fire Chief since 2020. Iacovissi announced he was stepping down from the position last week.

Gratch is a lifelong resident of Rome and a graduate of Rome Free Academy and Mohawk Valley Community College. Gratch began his career as a firefighter with the Rome Fire Department in 1990. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2003, Captain in 2009 and his current rank of Deputy Chief since 2017. Over the last 33-years, Gratch has served as a trained EMT and also served as Rome/Oneida County HAZMAT Team Leader, as well as a CPR certified instructor and a fire investigator.

“David has dedicated more than three decades to the safety of Rome citizens and we are very happy to have him take the top spot in the Rome Fire Department. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated a remarkable level of professionalism and a genuine passion for public service," said Lanigan. "This promotion is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and exceptional leadership skills within the department. His ability to lead by example will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success and excellence of our firefighting team,” he said.

Gratch is actively involved in the Rome community severing as a volunteer, member, officer and executive board member of the Woods Valley Ski Patrol for 30 years. He is a nationally certified Winter Emergency Care Instructor and is a trained Red Cross Disaster Relief Volunteer. He has also been a coach of various youth sports in Rome.

Rome's paid fire department was first established in the then Village of Rome in 1891.