SOUTHWICK – Russell Anderson was selected Southwick’s new fire chief Thursday by the Board of Selectmen.
Anderson is currently the chief of the Granby Fire Department and is the brother of Southwick’s retiring Chief Richard Anderson.
Anderson was selected from among four finalists interviewed at Town Hall. Interviews began at 1 p.m. and the selection was made shortly after 2 p.m.
Selectman Russell Fox made a motion to hire Anderson.
“We have a candidate that knows Southwick and that worked in Southwick,” Fox said, referring to Anderson’s previous time as a Southwick firefighter.
Fox did say all four candidates were excellent.
“We have four great candidates,” he said. “The Town of Southwick would be lucky to have any of them.”
Selectman Chairman Joseph Deedy thanked the chief search committee, which was headed by Selectman Douglas Moglin and included Police Chief David Ricardi, Det. Sgt. Robert Landis and Finance Committee member Art Pinell.
“You gave us four different people, literally,” Deedy said, noting differences in age, experience and location of the finalists.
Anderson beat out Barnes Air Base Fire Chief John Mitchell, Middletown, Conn. Firefighter Michael Howley, and Baltimore City firefighter John Dewan for the position.
All finalists were asked identical questions, including why they believed they were the best candidate, how they would deal with limited volunteers and response, especially during the day, if they would evaluate the current command staff, and how much of the job they believe is administrative.
Anderson touted his experience as chief in Granby, which he said has a similar makeup of a handful of full-time employees and the rest being volunteers.
Anderson said for him, there is no separation.
“It’s one department,” he said, “whether you’re career or call.”
He said dividing the department into full-time and volunteers “creates animosity.”
As far as having limited responders during the day, Anderson said he would look to the community for help.
“I’d try to work with business leaders and town departments such as the DPW,” he said. “And there is regional response.”
Anderson said 90 percent of the fire chief’s job is administrative. Following the unanimous vote to hire Anderson, Deedy wanted to make sure the chief knew he was a “working chief.”
“We can put that in the contract,” said Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart.
Anderson spoke of his 29 years experience in Southwick and his expertise in water rescue, which was a concern for the Board because of the active lake recreation in town.
Anderson said he would have a plan in place for the four full-time firefighter/EMTs in case of his absence. In Granby, he created a program for officer assessment and now three of the four career employees there are officers who can take charge when the chief is unavailable.
Anderson questioned the Board’s position on creating an Advanced Life Support department and was happy to hear the process was in the beginning stages.
Ricardi, who worked with Anderson in the past, said they would “work wonderfully” well together as the town’s emergency services chiefs.
“We are both aggressive department heads,” he said.
Anderson is subject to passing a physical, negotiating with Stinehart and signing a three-year agreement per Massachusetts law in order to be chief.
