Newly appointed Fire Chief Tim Pellerin presented his vision for the town’s newly consolidated fire department at Monday night’s meeting of the Whitefield Board of Selectmen.
For 64 years, Whitefield operated three separate fire associations, with three different stations. In March, voters decided to consolidate the three associations under one department, and approved funding for a new station. Two of the former stations will remain in operation.
While a small portion of the meeting was dedicated to describing the funding process for the new station, and answering questions about burn permits, the bulk of the meeting was dedicated to addressing the transition.
Jim Brann was Whitefield’s Fire Chief for 15 years, but will not retain his position under the consolidation. Pellerin, one of only two applicants for the new position, and a former assistant chief for the town, was appointed the town’s new fire chief by selectmen last week.
The selectmen briefly described the application process, in which three community members, along with the three selectmen, had the final say in the hiring decision.
Selectmen said Pellerin has “strong support” from the board, and that they hoped the community would support him as well. They added, “We want to make it real clear, we’re very appreciative of [Brann’s] time, dedication and service to this town. We have nothing but good to say about Jim.”
Pellerin added, “He’s a hero in this community. Jim Brann did a hell of a job.”
The selectmen added that Brann “had not been fired,” and that the town owed him a “debt of gratitude.” Pellerin said Brann is now on a leave of absence, and that he had “not accepted a letter of resignation,” although he later declined to clarify whether a letter had actually been submitted.
Of his vision for the new department, Pellerin said he’d be developing a code of conduct, creating new positions and a new chain of command, and was seeking to keep the lines of communication open. He asked the firefighters to contact him directly with questions and ideas, and added that he expected fire fighters to act professionally at all times. “When you put on the helmet, those boots, you’re a representative of the town,” he said.
Partway through the meeting, Brann, who was not present, received a round of applause for his years of service to the town, and the only comment from the floor during the entire meeting came from a resident who said, “I hope the selectmen will find some way to express our appreciation to Jim Brann.”
