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Date: 5/9/2023
LUDLOW — The Board of Selectmen promoted Daniel Mckenney, William Ellison, Robert Dooley and Jason Bienvenue to lieutenant in the Fire Department at its May 3 meeting.
After hosting nine interviews on May 2 and 3, the Select Board and Ludlow Fire Chief Ryan Pease agreed to promote four candidates to the position.
Pease said that he presented the Board of Selectmen a staffing study approximately two years ago to address the volume of calls and highlight the importance of having mid-level supervisor positions in the Fire Department.
The lieutenant positions were approved by the Board of Selectmen but have not been filled since.
According to Pease, the delay to filling the positions was a problem with a civil service test coming out.
“We had elected to follow a written civil service exam and an assessment, and we would have gotten the blended score of each of them in a perfect world. It didn’t work out for us because there was some legal action and the written test was cancelled,” Pease said.
The Fire Department decided to determine candidates and ranking solely on an assessment that was done by six different fire chiefs, two different panels and four elaborate exercises, according to Pease.
Pease thinks that these positions can be beneficial to the town.
Pease said, “Much needed. I think it puts the town in a better place, puts the Fire Department in a better place. And as I explained at a past meeting, yes we need more firefighters and we have been working on that plan to add one or two at a time when needed and so far we have gotten two which we are grateful for.”
Pease added that adding this position is important to the department and during a potential call.
“We already have the position of an acting captain, so the lieutenant is essentially an acting captain but also narrows down that role of span and control. They will also act as an interior operations supervisor during a fire scene relieving the captain so they can stay outside and get eyes on the bigger picture of what is going on,” Pease said.
He added, “We are not creating four brand new fire positions off this, these guys are going to be mid-level supervisors but there also going to still respond on the ambulance and respond to the day-to-day calls. It is not a white shirt sitting in an office at a computer. These are boots on the ground.”
The selectmen expressed that they thought all the candidates were great and represented the Fire Department in a good light.
Pease added, “Throughout the course of the interviews, I couldn’t be more proud to have shown the town the department and the future of our department. You have probably seen one of the next chief’s here down the line someday.”