Fire Chief Anthony Riehl will retire Friday September 26, after 25 years of service to our community.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Chief Riehl for his steadfast leadership, commitment to public safety, and unwavering dedication to the people of Hackensack.
Chief Riehl’s career with the Hackensack Fire Department began on September 25, 2000, shortly after the birth of his first child.
Over the past two and a half decades, he rose through the ranks, Lieutenant in 2012, Captain in 2019, Deputy Chief in 2022, and was appointed Chief in 2024 following the retirement of Chief Thomas Freeman.
A lifelong resident of Hackensack, Chief Riehl has deep roots in the community. He was raised on the south side of the City in a home that has served four generations of his family. He attended Jackson Avenue School and graduated from Hackensack High School in 1994, where he met his wife, Heather.
“We thank Chief Riehl not only for his twenty-five years of service, but for a lifetime of dedication to this City—a home he has always protected as one of our own,” Mayor Caseen Gaines said. “His commitment is a testament to the power of public service, inspiring us all to serve our community with the same courage and integrity he has shown.”
“Congratulations to Chief Riehl on a well-earned retirement after an exceptional career of service to the City of Hackensack,” stated City Manager Thomas Freeman. “It’s been an honor to watch you rise through the ranks with true dedication, following a family legacy of service that even included your mom’s career as a trusted 9-1-1 dispatcher in the Fire Department. Wishing you the very best in this next chapter—you’ve truly earned it.”
Under Chief Riehl’s leadership, the Department advanced training standards, strengthened mutual-aid partnerships, and championed modern fire suppression and emergency response practices that enhanced readiness and reinforced public trust in our City’s emergency services.
To honor Chief Riehl’s service to the City, a “clap out” ceremony will be held at Fire Headquarters on Friday, September 26, at 3:00 PM.
All City personnel and residents are invited to attend and celebrate one of our own, whose career here can only be defined by his courage, integrity, and service to this City.
