SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board took a moment to honor Fire Capt. Joseph Gambale, who will be retiring after 29 years of service on Jan. 1, 2026.
On behalf of the Select Board, Chair Katie Phelan presented Gambale with a citation of appreciation in recognition of his tenure with the Town.
Gambale, who was raised in Swampscot and attended schools in Town, was first hired as a Swampscott firefighter on Jan. 3, 1997. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2014 before becoming Captain in 2018.
Fire Chief Graham Archer spoke before the Board in reflection of Gambale’s career.
“Prior to embarking on a career in public safety, he spent many years working as a commercial fisherman in Swampscott. Joseph Gambale arrived with an unmatched knowledge of the waters around our area and a unique set of skills that I do not believe any of us fully appreciated when he was a new firefighter,” Archer said. “The depth of his experience and insight would be revealed over many years and thousands of responses to calls for service.”
Archer explained that knot tying is an important skill taught to new recruits at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, and by the time Gambale had graduated from the academy, he had left his instructors with as many knot-tying tips as they had given him.
“Joseph Gambale was promoted to Lieutenant in August of 2014. Right away, he threw himself into the new role and added responsibilities it carried in his own unique way,” Archer said.
He noted how all fire officers carry a binder of information on certain larger properties in town. Gambale’s binder quickly became a primary source for other officers regarding data on sprinkler and alarm systems, detailed drawings and floor plans, and informative maps of streets in town.
Archer described Gambale’s promotion to Captain as a natural evolution, citing the deep respect he earned from other firefighters for his knowledge and problem-solving abilities.
“Although he has been dedicating more time over the past couple of years to pass on what he has learned to a whole new generation of firefighters who have sprung up around him, this is one area where he will ‘fail’… They will learn a lot, and all will benefit, but there is no escaping the fact that Joseph Gambale will be packing up more than just the clothes and photos in his locker at the end of this month. He will be leaving with an insight the entire department will have to work hard to replace for years to come,” Archer said.
Gambale said, “What an honor and a privilege it has been to work with for almost 30 years, and I’ll miss them terribly.”
