Originally Posted by mikemac64

Wrentham fire chief decision sparks outcry among residents


BY STEPHEN PETERSON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:26 AM EDT


WRENTHAM - Fallout from the controversial hiring of a new fire chief from out of town - instead of the department's acting chief - continues, with residents questioning the meeting where the vote was taken and the decision itself.

Selectmen voted 3-2 in a rare, Friday afternoon meeting last week to offer the job to Providence Assistant Fire Chief for Administration Mark Pare.

The board passed over acting Fire Chief and longtime Deputy Chief Jay McMorrow, who was the top choice of a screening committee that reviewed applications and recommended three finalists. Selectmen Mary Dunn, Jennifer Firth and John Zizza voted for Pare, while McMorrow received votes from Selectmen Edward Goddard and George Labonte.

The third finalist, Bellingham Deputy Fire Chief Steven Garon, a resident of Cumberland, R.I., received no votes.

Selectmen interviewed the finalists in late February, and Dunn, the board's chairwoman, said Pare was the most qualified. She cited his experience training firefighters.

The five-member search committee, which reviewed about a dozen applications and favored McMorrow, consisted of Dunn, Town Administrator Jack McFeeley, and Fire Chiefs Bill Scoble from Westwood, Tim Ronayne from Canton and John Greene from Brookline.

"We went through all the trouble of having a screening committee, and you don't take their recommendation?" resident Tim Konowitz asked selectmen at their meeting Tuesday night.

"That is why we are elected," Goddard said, pointing out the screening committee did review applicants and come up with the finalists. "We didn't waste their time."

Patrick Moore, chairman of the planning board, questioned why the meeting and vote were held on a Friday afternoon.

"I was kind of taken aback. I would like to see big, big decisions like that made at regular meetings," Moore said.

Selectmen said scheduling conflicts among members, including Dunn being unable to make Tuesday's session, led them to meet on a date when all five selectmen could be present. The next regular meeting isn't until April 1, they said.

"We wanted to expedite that," Labonte said of the chief selection.

Despite the unusual time, board members said many interested residents were aware of the session.

"We had a full house," said Firth, who mentioned she had been unable to make other meeting dates because of her father's death.

A contract needs to be worked out with Pare, a resident of Cranston, R.I.

Robert Morrill retired as fire chief last May after eight years overseeing the fire department.

STEPHEN PETERSON can be reached at 508-236-0377 or at speterson@thesunchronicle.com.

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