Twenty-eight years after his first fire, Gene Prince will be trading flame-resistant jackets and fire alarms for suits and meetings as Gainesville’s fire chief.
“In whatever I’ve done, I’ve always wanted to be effective,” he said.
For Prince, a day on the job meant extinguishing a flaming two-story house or treating the injured after a 27-vehicle pileup. Now, his job will include meeting with City Commissioners to discuss the annual budget.
“The administrative side of things, it can also be physically challenging,” he said. “It’s a different type of stress.”
City Hall isn’t foreign to him. He worked to pass a fire assessment fee this summer that charges homeowners a few hundred dollars a year to fund about half of the Gainesvill Fire Rescue Department and to cover some of the city government’s budget shortfall.
Jeff Lane, Gainesville Fire Rescue district chief, said he expects Prince to do well in his new role because he’s highly respected.
“If you’re always fair and honest, it really doesn’t matter what side of the table you sit on,” said Lane, who was trained by Prince about 20 years ago.
“To sum him up, he’s very fair,” he said.
He said Prince expects a lot out of his firefighters, but he still has a good sense of humor.
“He doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Lane said. “That’s going to be very useful during tough budget times.”
When Prince started, he wasn’t passing policy.
He’s worked his way up through the ranks since he was a 24-year-old in Ocala.
Almost three decades later, Prince said the goal hasn’t changed. He’s still there to serve.
“I can’t say I set out to be fire chief,” he said. “I love what I do. From the first time you feel that you helped someone in need, you get that and you’re hooked.”
