Fall River Fire Special Services Chief Richard Aguiar receives “Portuguese American Heritage Award”

Fall River Fire Special Services has announced that their leader, Chief Richard Aguiar, has received the “Portuguese American Heritage Award”.

Chief Aguiar was nominated by Senator Michael Rodrigues who personally presented the award at an official State House ceremony on Tuesday that was part of “Heritage Day of Portugal”.

The award recognizes individuals in Portuguese-speaking communities who help to preserve their cultural traditions while giving back to their communities and encouraging future generations to appreciate and love their heritage.

In a tribute by Fall River Fire Special Services, they noted that Aguiar’s Portuguese heritage began with both his maternal and paternal grandparents who came to the United States from Portugal. His mother’s parents came to the United States as young children. As adults they worked in Fall River mills until his grandfather opened the Esquire Café on Stuart Street. His father’s parents lived in East Providence, RI for a few years before returning to Portugal when his father was 3 years old. When his father turned 18, he was drafted into the United States Navy and returned to the states to accept and fulfill his obligation during WW II. His parents worked in the Fall River mills until his father started his own landscaping business in 1959 known as M.S.A. Landscape. Richard started working with his dad and learned to speak the Portuguese language to communicate with the Portuguese immigrants employed by his father.

Aguiar attended Bristol County Agricultural High School and Stockbridge School of Agricultural at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He continued to work in the field of landscaping for 39 years.

Aguiar then joined the Fall River Auxiliary Fire Department in 1971 and worked as an Auxiliary Firefighter, eventually working his way up to Auxiliary Deputy Chief, for which he served until 1999. Fire Chief Edward Dawson then asked him to oversee the Special Services Unit which he gladly accepted.

In 1995, Aguiar was appointed Deputy Director of Emergency Management for the Fall River Emergency Management Agency.

In 2004, Aguiar was appointed Director of Emergency Management.

In 2024, Aguiar was promoted to Chief of Special Services Unit by Fire Chief Roger St. Martin. The Fall River Special Services Unit provides lighting and rehab to firefighters while at a fire scene.

Aguiar has worked for the City of Fall River as a volunteer and as an employee for the past 53 years.