The Richmond Heights Fire Department mourns the passing of retired fire chief Larry Santen.  Chief Santen began his career in 1951 as a private and worked his way through the ranks until he was promoted to Fire Chief in 1980.  During his tenure as chief of the department (1980 to 1987), Chief Santen was very instrumental in taking the department’s EMT’s and training them to the level of paramedics and acquiring the needed equipment for them to perform their new duties.  It was his vision many years ago that has made our medical division of the department what it is today.