Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The City of LaGrange is honoring LaGrange Fire Department Operations Chief Phillip Rice for his dedicated 35 years of service.

Rice received his 35-year service pin at the LaGrange City Council meeting Tuesday (10/22) night with his wife Nicolle, and their children by their side.

Deputy Chief Rice began his career as a firefighter with the LaGrange Fire Department on September 23, 1989. He completed Rookie School in November 1989 and received the Scholastic Achievement Award. He became an Emergency Medical Technical certified in 1991 and was promoted to Sergeant in February 1994. He was a member of the 1999 and 2000 Fire Department Muster competition teams that won state championships in back-to-back years. Rice also set the state record for the Georgia Firefighter’s Muster Association in the rapid dress competition.

In 2004, Rice became certified as a Paramedic. He was promoted to Lieutenant in October 2005 and Captain in November 2006. He was appointed Shift Commander of Battalion 3 in 2009. In August 2012, he graduated summa cum laude from Mercer University with a Bachelor of Social Science in Public Safety. In August 2013, he was promoted to Deputy Chief. In 2014, he completed a Master of Public Safety Administration at Columbus State University. In 2019 he achieved Fire Chief Certification through the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.

Rice currently holds the rank of Operations Chief and is assigned to Fire Headquarters. He is a vital member of the accreditation process, ensuring compliance with domestic preparedness, external agency relationships, and financial resources. Rice has also been involved with firefighter health and safety, contingency planning, and policy review and revision.

Operations Chief Rice enjoys spending his off time outdoors with his family and coaching youth baseball. Rice and his wife Nicolle have five children: Denver, Tennyson, Bayne, Truett, and Darby.