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Brentwood fire chief to move two out-of-service vehicles and begins internal promotion process after lieutenant resigns
Summary
Chief reported two older fire vehicles taken out of service and asked permission to move them for disposition; the board approved moving the trucks and asked staff to report back on sale options. The department also accepted a lieutenant—s resignation and the chief said he is processing in-house applicants to fill leadership gaps.
Brentwood Fire Chief told the Select Board the department currently has two older apparatus at the station that are not suitable for continued front-line service and asked for direction on removing them from the station and arranging disposition.
Chief Gregory Burr said one unit is a 1979 Mack tanker whose pump failed and the cost to repair is not warranted; a second is a 1986 engine with a manual transmission he described as difficult to operate for many modern drivers. Burr said the department will receive a new ALS vehicle and has a ribbon-cutting scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m.
The chief asked permission to move the two older vehicles to a town shed, strip equipment, and prepare them for sale or disposal. Select Board members agreed and directed the chief to coordinate logistics with board member Jim and with Wayne to move the vehicles by Friday and to return with an update on disposition and offers. Jim volunteered to help and noted resale values are typically low for these older apparatus; the board discussed potential exportation by dealers.
Burr also reported the resignation of Lieutenant Keith Culligan, who took a full-time lieutenant position in Bedford and cited family reasons. The chief said he has internal and outside candidates and plans to prioritize in-house candidates when possible to preserve institutional knowledge. He told the board he has one in-house candidate he favors and will bring the recommendation back to the Select Board following his screening.
On staffing, the chief said recruiting and shift coverage remain challenging statewide and locally. He said several local members are in school/academy training and that the department—s new pay scale may help with retention and recruitment.
