Williamsburg Deputy Fire Chief Larry Snyder is entering his third month as Fire Chief Pat Dent’s second-in-command, and so far, the two have struck an amiable balance.
Snyder, a 2001 College of William & Mary graduate, said one of the draws that took him away from the Hanover EMS Department and back to the City of Williamsburg was the chance to work alongside Dent.
“I firmly believe where he’s taking us is in the right direction,” Snyder said of Dent, who took over as fire chief when T.K. “Buz” Weiler retired in March 2009.
Dent, who previously worked at the Newport News Fire Department and was named Williamsburg’s deputy fire chief only a few months before being promoted to fire chief, worked solo for five-and-a-half years, citing budget limitations as the main reason for not hiring a new deputy chief.
He said he made a decision with the city manager to postpone hiring a deputy fire chief until it was absolutely necessary.
“We just reached the point where there were just so many things I wanted to do within the department,” Dent said.
Dent and Snyder’s personalities meshed quickly: “It’s been a great relationship so far and I look forward to what we can do in the future,” Dent said.
They agreed two of their top priorities are leadership development within the fire department and a continuing commitment to the community.
“I really want to be a part of the team that helps build the change that leads the department,” Snyder said.
Snyder has been working in the field since age 16, when he began volunteering with the Hanover rescue squad.
He graduated with a degree in biology from William & Mary with the intention of going to medical school, but realized his passion was in saving lives a different way.
He returned to Hanover EMS, which later merged with the Hanover Fire Department to become Hanover Fire-EMS, full time after graduating, working as a career ALS provider and eventually moving through the ranks to battalion chief.
He said he is still getting to know the streets and the people of Williamsburg and is encouraged by the amount of community events in which the department participates.
“[There is an] expectation that we’re there, and we want to be there,” Snyder said.
He said his biggest challenge has been adapting to the Williamsburg Fire Department’s protocols and procedures, as well as identifying cultural differences between the Williamsburg and Hanover departments.
When he’s not working at the station, Snyder enjoys spending time at the beach and on the water with his wife and 3-year-old son Jett.
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