Edward Flood always considered himself a firefighter first, and everything else came second. “I could never envision myself as anything other than a firefighter,” Flood said last week. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”
Flood, a graduate of North Bergen High School who now resides in Weehawken, has been a firefighter with first the Weehawken Fire Department, then with the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue squad for the past 27 years.
“It’s been an amazing honor to be a firefighter,” Flood said. “It’s a great way to live your life. Being a firefighter at any level is a great honor.”
However, on Monday, Flood received word that he’s reached the highest level that an uniformed firefighter can attain. He has been named the chief of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, serving in the administrative role under co-directors Jeff Welz and Michael Diorio.
“It’s a great honor,” said Flood, who had served as the chief of operations for the Weehawken Fire Department before the regional plan was put into effect in 1998. “And it’s an awesome responsibility to be placed in. It’s a big step up, but I welcome the challenge.”
Flood was a strong proponent of the regionalization idea, long before the plan was put into effect. When the transition was taking place, Flood’s expertise in writing rules and regulations was called upon to set a standardized policy throughout the department that covers North Bergen, West New York, Union City, Weehawken and Guttenberg. Flood actually wrote the official document that called for the regionalization. “He put it all in easy, understandable terms,” said Welz, who nominated Flood for the position. “He gives a guideline and made the operating procedure so easy to read.”
Since the regional plan was put into effect, Flood has served as a line deputy chief, working with the 300-plus member department, but also getting involved with putting out fires on the line.
“Having worked with Ed closely for the last 10 years, I know his dedication to fire service,” Welz said. “I know he’s dedicated to the job and to the men. He’s very driven to promote the good of the men and what they do. But he’s also a very good disciplinarian. He had the experience in running a department day-to-day.”
Diorio believes that it is vital to a successful department to have someone from the general rank and file work his way up the ranks to the head of the department.
“It’s always nice to see someone move up the ranks,” Diorio said. “This way, he has a better feel for the department and knows how the department works. He’s had hands-on experience and has an understanding of all the needs of the department. Hopefully, he will treat everyone fairly and look at everyone’s concerns in the five different towns. I believe he has the quality to do that.”
Flood, 51, married and with one stepson, comes from a family of firefighters. His grandfather and uncle were longtime members of the New York City Fire Department.
“Somewhere, it’s genetically in me,” Flood laughed. “I think I was born to be a firefighter.”
Flood knows that it’s a gigantic challenge, going from the days when he overlooked the daily actions of 50 firefighters to overseeing what 307 firefighters in 12 fire houses throughout five municipalities are doing. “I think a fire department always wants to have a fire chief as a leader, someone who has come through the ranks,” Flood said. “I think I can have the ability to resolve a lot of administrative problems because of my roots. The department knows that there will be leadership. In fire service, a chief is a chief is a chief. I think the chief is always a little removed from the rank and file. But I want the members to know that I’m there for them.” And Flood knows one thing – that he adores what he does.
“I’ve always said that one day in a firehouse is better than a day doing any other job,” Flood said. “Even on my worst days, I still believed it was the best job in the world.”
And it’s a best kind of job that got even better.