Grosse Pointe Shores Public Safety Lt. Ron Coste holds the director’s award he received on March 18, 2025, for his work for the department in 2024.
By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published January 13, 2026
GROSSE POINTE SHORES — Receiving a director’s award — which is essentially an officer of the year award — is a high honor in Grosse Pointe Shores. Lt. Ron Coste has gotten two of them, the most recent of which came last year for his work in 2024.
So, Coste’s retirement Nov. 11 — after a 25-year career that started in August 2000 — was sad news for the department and Public Safety Director Kenneth Werenski, who acknowledged, “Replacing him was hard.”
“He always had a smile, (was) always willing to help,” Werenski said. “The guys liked working with him. People liked working for him. … I relied on him a ton. I’m going to miss that a lot.”
During his career in the Shores, Werenski said, Coste has received multiple awards, including two lifesaving awards, five unit commendations, one certificate of merit and a director’s award in 2019. He attended Michigan State University’s Train the Trainer program and holds numerous certificates including ones for arson investigation, grant writing, evidence technician and firearms instruction.
Coste was also the senior lieutenant in charge of two platoons; he oversaw fire operations including training and vehicle maintenance and purchases; he served as the department’s training officer and lead trainer, making sure all officers are compliant with state and federal training guidelines; and he mentored newer officers.
But Coste is modest about his accolades and said any awards he’s won are really the result of a team effort.
“I’m kind of that guy that flies under the radar,” Coste said. “The whole, ‘I’m just doing my job’ thing — that’s me. I’m not looking for the limelight. I come to work, I do my job and I try to do it well.”
Coste grew up in a rural part of West Bloomfield. His mother was a manager at a plant nursery and a financial adviser at a bank, while his father was an iron worker.
“I was brought up to work hard,” said Coste, 56, of Grosse Pointe Woods. “That’s what my dad did, and that’s what he instilled in me.”
Working in public safety wasn’t always on Coste’s radar.
“I was in college (and) didn’t really know what I was going to do or study,” Coste said.
He was designing boat covers, and while driving home from work one day, he was in a bad accident that rendered him unconscious.
“When I looked up, two guys in an ambulance were taking care of me,” Coste said.
After he recovered, Coste reconnected with the emergency medical workers who had tended to him and learned they worked for the now-defunct Tri-City Fire Department, which served Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake. Coste had found his calling. He got an associate degree in applied fire science from Oakland Community College and studied to become an emergency medical technician. Coste worked for the Tri-City Fire Department as well as the ambulance company American Medical Response in the early 1990s. After becoming a paramedic in 1995, Coste spent a couple of years as a critical care paramedic.
While working at a festival in Orchard Lake, Coste’s friend, Bill Nicholson — a retired Shores Public Safety lieutenant — told Coste the Shores was looking for a new officer.
“He walked up to me in the medical tent and said, ‘Have you ever considered carrying a gun?’ and I said no, I’d rather carry a (fire) hose,” Coste laughingly recalled.
Still, his interest was piqued, so Coste ended up applying for the position. Although he could have stayed in Oakland County as a firefighter, Coste took the plunge and started a new career.
“It was nice because it allowed me to continue to provide the fire and paramedic services,” Coste said.
The Shores is unusual in that its public safety officers are trained not only as firefighters and police officers, but also as either EMTs or paramedics, because the city operates its own ambulance.
Retired Shores Public Safety Director Gary Mitchell is the person who hired Coste.
“Ron was very well qualified and gave us the feeling he wanted to stay (in the Shores) — and he did,” Mitchell said. “Ron went beyond what he was expected to do.”
Werenski became a sergeant after four years in the department and Coste got assigned to his platoon. He worked closely with Coste during Coste’s 25-year career.
“You can rely on him,” Werenski said. “He and I were on the same page. We were wired the same way.”
Upon the promotion of Shores Public Safety Sgt. Ryan Wilson to lieutenant Nov. 18, Mayor Ted Kedzierski said it was bittersweet — officials were happy to see the well-regarded Wilson rise through the ranks, but the mayor said the city would “really miss” Coste.
“Ron Coste was a great guy,” Kedzierski said.
Werenski is grateful the younger members of the Public Safety Department got to work with Coste and learn from him.
“When I think of Ron Coste, I think of his leadership,” Werenski said. “One of the things he enjoyed about the job was working with the new people. He became a good mentor, someone people could approach. He was well liked. He was respected. He was very approachable.”
Coste relished working with the department’s new hires.
“I think one of the most rewarding things is being able to pass that knowledge along,” Coste said. “It’s a good group of people to work with. It takes a special person to provide any of those three (emergency) services, so, to me, it takes that much more of a special person to provide all of those three services in a small community.”
Coste, who worked in one or more areas of public safety for 33 years, has had some injuries on the job. After his last large fire left him completely spent, he knew it was time to retire.
“It made me realize life’s too short to continue doing something my body is telling me I shouldn’t continue to do,” Coste said.
A father of two grown children and grandfather of two, Coste hopes to spend more time with family. His daughter is getting married in June.
In addition, Coste and his wife, Jennifer, want to travel.
“This job is such a commitment and it’s so time-consuming and it so occupies your brain … I missed out on a lot of things with my kids,” Coste said.
He said he wants to make up for some of that lost time now and enjoy more time with his grandchildren.
And while he’ll no longer be getting calls in the middle of the night or on a holiday to come in for an emergency, Coste said he’s still just a phone call away for any officers who have questions or need advice.
“I explained to those guys, my phone is still on,” Coste said. “Don’t hesitate to call.”