Committee adopts special act to remove future Holyoke fire chiefs from civil service

The Holyoke City Council Charter and Rules Committee voted to adopt an order asking the city to pursue a special act that would remove future fire chiefs from civil service, an action proponents said would preserve the city’s residency requirement and give the Fire Commission broader hiring and disciplinary authority.

Councilor Kevin Jourdain, who introduced the order, told the committee the proposal would “give a lot more power and flexibility to the fire commission” and would let the commission “replicate the process that we have for police chief,” including negotiating a contract and using screening committees and interviews instead of being strictly bound by civil service point lists.

Jourdain said the change is aimed in part at preserving a Holyoke ordinance that requires the fire chief to be a resident. He said his understanding…