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Selectboard notes Act 162 change naming Fire Chief as Town Fire Warden; member says change occurred without warning
Summary
Under Act 162 (effective July 1, 2026) the Fire Chief automatically serves as the Town Fire Warden; current Fire Warden is Russell Ellis and Fire Chief Brian Harlow was named; a Selectboard member said the State's change invalidated local chains of command without warning.
The Selectboard acknowledged notice that Act 162, which took effect July 1, 2026, specifies the Fire Chief automatically serves as the town Fire Warden. The board recorded that Russell Ellis is the current Fire Warden and Marc Fellows is Assistant Fire Warden; Brian Harlow is the current Fire Chief.
Selectboard member Aileen Tulloch told the board that "in Act 162, the State invalidated existing fire department chains of command for numerous towns over the Fourth of July weekend without any warning." The board acknowledged receipt of the letter and the change; no formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the acknowledgment.
The change shifts the formal statutory designation of the town's fire warden role to the Fire Chief and may require internal department alignment as well as communication to volunteers.
