Fire Chief Thomas Stone
Photo Courtesy of St. Bernard Parish Government
Contributed by St. Bernard Parish Government
St. Bernard Parish Government has announced the retirement of long tenured Fire Chief Thomas Stone after serving 43 years in the St. Bernard Fire Department (SBFD) with 32 of those years served as Fire Chief.
Chief Stone started as an apprentice firefighter in 1978. His tenure, as paid Fire Chief, is one of the longest in Louisiana.
“Chief Stone has been an invaluable part of St. Bernard Parish Government and the St. Bernard Fire Department as long as most of us in St. Bernard Parish can remember, but more importantly he’s been an incredible mentor and friend to so many in our community,” said Parish President Guy McInnis.
Stone led SBFD through major fires such as the Tenneco gasoline tank explosion, Mobil hydrocracker unit fire, Domino Sugar Refinery fire, as well as the LeBeau Plantation fire. He also led through major disasters Hurricane Katrina and the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Stone has spoken at fire service conferences throughout the U.S. and around the world. He has chaired numerous committees involving industrial and marine firefighting, Hazardous Material Response, 911 and various training committees. During his tenure, Stone and the St. Bernard Fire Department received numerous accolades, including Fireman of the Year in 1987, 1988 and 1990, as well as Louisiana Fire Chief of the Year in 1993. Under his leadership, the SBFD was named 2009 Fire Department of the year by the Louisiana State Fire Marshall.
Chief Stone has been married to his wife Lauren Schaeffer Stone for 42 years. They have three children, Tommy, Chad and Nikki and four grandchildren, Ava, Kenzie, Carson, and Kason.
