Since fire protection was formerly organized in 1814, the Medford fire department has served the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, responding to all types of emergencies to keep the public safe since.
“We continue these traditions today,” Fire Chief Robert Dovi said. “(We) strive for continuous improvement in all that we do to provide the best possible service to our community.”
Three volunteer members and one career member of the department were promoted at a township council meeting on Sept. 17.
“Our department continues to pride itself on core values of professionalism and excellence,” Dovi noted. “The officers we are swearing in this evening exemplify these values.”
Dovi shared the numerous certifications each member has, from Firefighter 1 and incident management and safety to vehicle extrication.
David MacBride was sworn in as battalion chief. He is a third-generation firefighter who has served in the fire service since 1988. He quickly rose through the ranks to chief at the Lindenwold fire department where he served from 1997 to 2002. At that time, he also graduated from medical school and completed his residency in emergency medicine.
Bride moved to Medford in 2006 and became an emergency physician at AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center. He joined the Medford fire and EMS department in 2018 and immediately had a positive impact, Dovi recalled.
“He is a strong advocate of training and takes time to develop drills that have honed members’ skills,” the chief said. “He also has been instrumental in developing the junior program.”
MacBride, now a medical director at AtlanticCare, is joined by his son, an active member of the department.
Christopher Rabbuttino was sworn in as captain. He joined the department as a junior at age 16 in September 2009 and became an active member in 2011. Rabbuttino has his state EMT certification and has served with Medford Medical Services. He also had numerous leadership roles in the fire company, including trustee and current vice president.
In the role as captain, Rabbuttino will provide leadership to other line officers and members, develop and conduct training, and lead the training program for the station. He is a foreman for PSE&G.
Robert Wagner is now a lieutenant. He joined Medford EMS in 2017, following in the footsteps of his mom Jennifer and father Jeff. Wagner attended the College of New Jersey, where he was a member of the Emergency Medical Squad. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in education.
Wagner currently teaches pre-engineering at Camden County Technical School. Dovi noted that Wagner has one CPR save and has also served as a trustee with the fire company.
Eddie Keebler was sworn in as a full-time career firefighter EMT. He is a first-generation firefighter EMT who began his career as a junior firefighter in the Vincent Fire Company. In 2015, Keebler obtained EMT certification, and in spring 2018, he received the Firefighter 1 certification. The township initially hired Keebler as a part-time EMT.
