With a 30-year background in fire protection and emergency services, Tim Pellerin was sworn in as Whitefield’s new fire chief Monday.
The position, previously held by Jim Brann (see related story), was altered as a result of restructuring the town’s fire protection services, previously delivered by three separate, independent companies.
Following a March referendum vote, Whitefield has a municipal volunteer fire department and there is a single chain of command for all activities and responsibilities.
Pellerin moved to Whitefield in 2005 when he became director of Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency and chief of the North Whitefield Volunteer Fire Dept.
The Westbrook native was still in high school when he chose the path of career firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT). He is a lead instructor for the Cumberland Fire Attack School.
Pellerin began his career in Brunswick in 1980 as firefighter/EMT, and held a similar position from 1985-2001 in Portland. Also, between 1985-94, he served in the Freeport Fire Dept. and was deputy chief of EMS.
From 1994-99, he lived in Gray and, as chief, ran the Raymond Fire and Rescue Service. When he started, there were 40 people in two stations, he said, “and when I left, there were 50-plus people on the roster.”
Before applying for the Lincoln County EMA appointment, he was deputy fire chief in Westbrook for four years.
In 2009, Pellerin was one of 121 trainers nationwide to receive the Bronze Level Authorized Instructor Excellence in Training award from FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, and he has successfully applied for $2.4 million in emergency service grants throughout Lincoln County in the past four years. One of those awards was for a new fire truck, housed in the North Whitefield station.
Pellerin said he applied for the Whitefield fire chief position “because I want to help make a difference – it’s the same reason I started with North Whitefield VFD five years ago.” That unit, which had been losing firefighters, subsequently grew to have the largest active membership among the three associations.
Pellerin’s vision for Whitefield’s reorganized fire and rescue department “is to build a new cohesive team by unifying the three existing organizations towards one common goal.”
Queried about his leadership style, Pellerin said, “You can’t ever forget you’re a firefighter, even though you’re fire chief or deputy chief. You’re still a member even though your rank and title change. You just have more authority, more responsibility. You have to find people, utilize them for their greatest strengths.”
According to the fire department position description, appointees are subject to completion of a standard probationary period.
