DEARBORN — Gino Polidori, who served Dearborn as a city councilman, a state representative and its longtime fire chief, passed away Sunday, Jan. 26 in Dearborn. He was 72. 

Polidori was also known in the Arab American community as one of the co-sponsors of the “Amer Foster Care Improvement Act,” which was officially introduced as a House Resolution in 2013 to become a federal law. 

Gov. Rick Snyder has ordered U.S. flags within the state capitol complex to be lowered to half-staff Friday, Jan. 31, in honor of Polidori. Flags should be returned to full-staff on Saturday, Feb. 1.

“Gino Polidori was a champion in the veterans rights arena working to ensure our state’s veterans are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Snyder said. “On behalf of all Michiganders I thank him for his lifetime of public service and extend sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

When he was sworn in on December 27, 1973, Polidori was only 32 years old, making him the youngest person to be appointed Fire Chief.  He also became the longest serving head of that department when he retired June 25, 1996, having served under Mayors Orville Hubbard, John B. O’Reilly, Sr. and Michael A. Guido.

Following his departure from the fire department, Polidori was elected to Dearborn’s City Council, where he served from 1997 to 2004. He went on to win a seat as Dearborn’s state representative and served in the House of Representatives for three terms, from 2004-2010. 

Mayor John B O’Reilly, Jr. remembered Polidori for his dedication to Dearborn. “He was a consummate public servant his whole life, throughout his fire career, his elected offices, his charitable work, and his contributions, even after he ‘retired.’ He was always determined to do his best for Dearborn,” said Mayor O’Reilly.

Gino Polidori.

One of his lasting impacts was a bill he sponsored as a state representative that gave funeral homes the right to properly bury ashes of veterans who died without resources, friends or family, and remained in the custody of the funeral homes. Polidori, along with the bill co-sponsor, Rep. Kenneth Kurtz, created a process to allow for their burial and ensure that they would not be forgotten. Mayor O’Reilly noted the impact of the law Polidori helped to create.

“The law went into effect in 2010 and since then, our Dearborn veterans have spent hours locating cremains cremains?, confirming eligibility for veterans’ burial,” said Mayor O’Reilly. 

Polidori, a lifelong Dearborn resident, was born on July 23, 1941. He attended Miller Elementary and Woodworth Junior High, and he graduated from Fordson High School in 1960. Polidori, a proponent of continuing education, took classes at Henry Ford Community College and Eastern Michigan University. 

He earned his certification in Fire Science from Macomb Community College and certification as a Fire Officer I and II from the Michigan State Fire Fighter Training Council.

Polidori became the first person to graduate from Wayne State University with a bachelor degree of general studies in fire science. The bachelor degree program for firefighters was one which Polidori had helped establish previously when he was a member of the Fire Science Advisory Board of Wayne’s College of Lifelong Learning.

Polidori was vice president (1976) and president (1977) of the Western Wayne County Mutual Aid Pact Association. He was also vice president (1981) and president (1982) of the Southeastern Michigan Fire Chiefs Association, president of Michigan Fire Chiefs Association (1987), and was appointed by Governor Blanchard to the State Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Commission (1988).

In his long career, Polidori was on numerous regional and state committees and belonged to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Michigan Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the National Fire Protection Association and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.

His commitment to veterans began when he served in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1966 during the Vietnam War era. While serving as state representative, he was chairman of the Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee in the House.

Polidori was both a trustee and 2014 Commander–elect of the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council, as well as a member of the American Legion Fort Dearborn Post 364, VVA James L. Huard Chapter 267 and VFW 2107. 

Polidori’s impact was felt throughout Dearborn. His leadership in civic and community organizations included the Dearborn Goodfellows, Smoke on the Grill, Italian American Fraternal Club, Dearborn Pioneers Club, the Fordson Varsity Alumni Club, Dearborn Democratic Club, and the Knights of Columbus Fr. Patrick O’Kelley Council No. 3860.  In addition, Polidori was active in promoting businesses in the east and west downtowns. 

While a City Councilman, Polidori was proud that he was a Michigan Municipal League (MML) Regional Officer from 2002-2003 and earned a Level One: Education Award and Level 2: Leadership Award from the MML’s Elected Officials Academy in 2002.