From left: Temporary Fire Chief Andy Hart, Commission Chair Albert Masciadrelli, and Commissioner Patrick Olearcek. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WESTFIELD- The Westfield Fire Commission held a special meeting Friday afternoon to accept the resignation of Andy Hart as temporary Fire Chief and to consider a new appointment for Deputy Chief Patrick Egloff to become temporary Chief.
The crowd spilled into the hallway and cars had to park on the grass at the Little River Road fire station as a vote for a new chief was expected after more than a week of confusion. Before the regularly scheduled January Fire Commission meeting on January 7th, the agenda items for an executive session and a vote for Egloff to fill the role of Chief were removed at the direction of the Mayor’s office. No reasons were publicly given for the removal.
The executive session that was a part of Friday’s special meeting used nearly the exact language as the item that was removed from the earlier agenda. It read that the commission would discuss, “the character, reputation, as opposed to professional competence, and/or complaints or charges brought against Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Egloff for the purpose of determining viability for either temporary or permanent promotion to chief of the fire department.”
The crowd just before the special meeting began. After the return to regular session from executive session, people were standing in the hallway as there was no more space in the room. (Photo by Peter Currier)
The commission has not discussed publicly what complaints or charges may have been brought against Egloff.
City Councilor At-Large Matt Emmershy was streaming the meeting via Facebook live, and continued to stream even after he and everybody else left the room during the executive session. The executive session lasted upwards of 30 minutes. While waiting in the hallway, Emmershy expressed his desire for these meetings to be held in the City Council chambers where they could be televised and hold more people.
On return to the regular session, the commission accepted the resignation of Andy Hart from the temporary Fire Chief position he has held since last summer. His resignation will be effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, January 21st. He will return to his previous position as Deputy Fire Chief.
“I want to extend my thanks to Andy Hart, I’ve known him for many years,” said commission chairman Albert Masciadrelli, “I really appreciate him stepping up to the plate when the need was there.”
Hart took the temporary position when former Fire Chief Mary Regan retired last July.
New temporary Fire Chief Patrick Egloff (Blue shirt) being congratulated following the commission’s vote. (Photo by Peter Currier)
The commission then considered a motion for a temporary promotion of Deputy Chief Patrick Egloff to become acting Chief. He was voted in as temporary Chief, and will be effective starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, January 21st to coincide with Hart’s resignation.
According to Masciadrelli, the commission will still have to vote on a permanent chief in the future. Whether that will be Egloff or somebody else remains to be seen.
Both votes took place with just two commissioners on the typically three-person commission. Albert Masciadrelli and Patrick Olearcek were present, but the third seat remained vacant due to the tendered resignation of commissioner Carlo Bonavita. Masciadrelli said that the filling of the third seat must be done by the Mayor.
Earlier in the meeting City Councilor Andrew Surprise expressed his concern that the meeting was held at 1 p.m. during a work day. Olearcek responded by saying that there was, “no ill will” in the decision to hold the meeting at that time. He said that the decision came due to scheduling conflicts that would have delayed the vote further if it had to take place at 6 p.m. as they normally do. Despite the meeting time, several dozen people were present to watch the meeting.
