READING., Pa. – Reading City Council on Monday presented a proclamation to long-time Fire Chief James G. Stoudt, Jr. on the occasion of his retirement.

Council President Donna Reed said that Stoudt began his career with the Reading City Fire Department in the winter of 1993.

“That journey began as a volunteer firefighter in the city five years prior,” she read. “As fire chief, Chief Stoudt genuinely felt most proud of working alongside such a fantastic group of dedicated firefighters, paramedics and all those who supported the department over the years.”

Councilman Rafael Nunez said Stoudt is the best.

“I’ve seen you all the time doing a great job in the City of Reading,” Nunez said. “We will miss you, but at the same time we’re happy because you will enjoy your family. You did a very special job for this community.”

All of the other council members expressed similar sentiments and extended their thanks for the work Stoudt did.

Stoudt said he never really had the ambition to be a chief.

“I just wanted to be a firefighter, and I always felt myself to be a firefighter who just happened to become the fire chief,” Stoudt said. “I appreciate everything, and I have put my application in already and dated it for today after my retirement for a vacancy on the Civil Service Board.”

Earlier in the day, we also spent time with Stoudt at the Firefighters Museum on South Fifth Street, just steps away from where he grew up.

“I was born and raised two doors away here on Fifth Street… just being a firehouse kid, always over here having lunch with my father and hanging out with the members,” Stoudt said.

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Along with honoring the chief’s retirement, the council also approved resolutions to:

Reappoint: Sandy Graffius to the audit committee, David McCoy to the recreation commission, and Scott Graham to the fire/building code board of appeals. 

Award a traffic signal preventative maintenance contract to Telco Group, Inc, Reading, for an amount not to exceed $300,000 from the public works engineering budget for a three-year period.

Purchase a 20225 Ford E350 chassis ambulance for $277,203 from Glick Fire Equipment Co., Bird In Hand. The purchase is to replace an ambulance for patient transport.