Select Board Uncertain About Fire Chief Search

The Seekonk Select Board remains uncertain about how the search for a new Fire Chief will be conducted.

Chief Sandra Lowery will be stepping down in February.

Lowery has been on sick leave since mid-September. The town’s first female fire chief has been serving in the position since October 2021.

At the board’s October 25 meeting, Town Administrator Shawn Cadime proposed hiring a firm to assess potential candidates for Fire Chief. The cost would’ve been $15,000.

“Right now the motion said that we not hire a consultant and we do the hiring process for a new fire chief within our own town personnel,” Select Board member Michelle Hines said.

The Board voted 4 to 1 to approve. Chairman Michael Healy, Chris Zorra, Pamela Pozzi, and Hines were in favor. Justin Sullivan was the lone ‘no’ vote. Hines now claims her intentions were misunderstood.

“Nowhere did I say we were only hiring internally,” Hines said at Wednesday’s meeting.

“I think this board should approve the process prior to the activation of it.”

Sullivan believes an Interim Chief needs to be put in place while the search is conducted.

“I think there’s probably some misunderstanding,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan wants to have the “best pool of candidates” to choose from, whether they come from inside the fire department or outside.

 Healy said any member was free to ask that the Fire Chief search be put on a future meeting agenda.

“I would like to end this discussion right now before we get accused of having any type of a violation since it’s not posted on the agenda to discuss this,” Healy added.