North Kingstown council confirms John G. Lisonbee Jr. as fire chief

The North Kingstown Town Council on May 12 voted to give advice and consent to Town Manager Ralph Malas’s appointment of John G. Lisonbee Jr. as chief of the North Kingstown Fire Department.

Town Manager Ralph Malas introduced Lisonbee’s record to the council, saying Lisonbee began with the department on July 20, 1990, rose to assistant fire chief on Oct. 2, 2022, and had served as acting chief during Chief Scott Cattell’s absences. Malas said Lisonbee helped develop department operating guidelines, coordinated recruitment and hiring, and oversaw consolidated dispatch and station renovations. Malas also noted Lisonbee’s U.S. Navy Reserve service and related deployments and training.

The council then took the formal vote on the manager’s request for advice and consent. After brief remarks from Lisonbee thanking the council, the town manager and others, the council voted in favor; the president announced, “the ayes have it.”

Why it matters: The confirmation moves the department’s interim leadership into a permanent role following a transition after former Fire Chief Scott Cattell’s departure. The appointment formalizes the chain of command and signals continuity in departmental administration as the town advances public-safety projects described later in the meeting.

Lisonbee commented after the vote, thanking the council, the town manager, department staff and his family for their support. The council president said a formal ceremony will be scheduled in the coming weeks and the public will be invited.

The council’s action followed the agenda item labeled “advice and consent” under Section 5.10 of the North Kingstown Town Charter.