Fire Department welcomes new full-time personnel

Date: 10/25/2011

Oct. 24, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Fire Department will soon be welcoming its newest full-time firefighter.

William Houle, currently a call firefighter for the department, was recommended by Fire Chief Richard Brady and subsequently supported unanimously by the Board of Selectmen to assume a full-time role following the interview of four candidates at its Oct. 17 meeting.

“Obviously this was a very good group of candidates with outstanding character and they all possessed many of the same qualities,” Board of Selectman Chair James Driscoll said. “But I think [Houle’s] education, including the fact he pro-actively worked toward his degree in fire science, rather than saying he planned to do it, sets him apart.”

Houle was chosen over Brian Daponde, Christopher Higgins and Michael Minahan. All four candidates are call firefighters within the department.

Houle told the board during his final interview he is a semester away from achieving his degree at Springfield Technical Community College. A former U.S. Army Paratrooper, he is also a registered Emergency Medical Technician.

He also cited his experience as a tree worker who is used to operating at extreme heights, as well as his Commercial Drivers License and experience driving large vehicles as other attributes that set him apart from the other candidates.

Houle added that he felt a firefighter is “never off duty” and when in the community he has the responsibility of representing the department at all times and said he was willing to do whatever was asked of him within the department.

“In the Army, I was taught to clean a toilet with a toothbrush. The idea was to learn attention to detail,” he said. “Whether it’s responding to an emergency or cleaning a toilet or taking out the garbage, there’s a reason for everything and while everything doesn’t hold the same level of importance, it is all important.”

Houle’s hiring is contingent upon his completion of a 12-week training program in Stowe. Should he be unable to complete the program, the board agreed to consider Daponde their second choice for the assignment.

Daponde has served as a call firefighter for the town for seven years and has one of the highest call rates in the department.

“Mr. Daponde has a call rate of almost 70 percent, which is very commendable and proves that he is a reliable member of the department,” Selectman Jack Villamaino said.