After months of evaluation, the field of candidates vying for fire chief in Southborough has been whittled down from nearly 60 to just two. Assistant Town Administrator Vanessa Hale said yesterday the screening committee has voted to recommend Brian Moriarty and Fred Mitchell for the position. The two men will go before the Board of Selectmen next week for final interviews.
Southborough has a long history of promoting its fire chiefs from within the department, but that seems about to change. Both finalists are external candidates.
Background information on Moriarty and Mitchell was not immediately available, but I’ll update you when I know more. (See update below.)
The Board of Selectmen has the final hiring authority for the fire chief position and will interview the two candidates at a meeting on December 21. The new chief will replace 38-year fire department veteran John Mauro Jr., who retired from the position in September.
The finalists were chosen after months of preliminary interviews. On November 30, six applicants took part in an all-day assessment center that put the candidates through a series of job-related simulations, interviews, and psychological tests designed to shed light on how each might behave in critical areas of the job.
The Fire Chief Screening Committee reviewed the results from the assessment center at a meeting last Friday and voted to advance Moriarty and Mitchell.
The Fire Chief Screening Committee has been meeting in executive session throughout the screening process, but the final interviews by the Board of Selectmen on December 21 are open to the public. Meetings details have not yet been posted, but I’ll share them when they are.
Update 1:00 pm: I have a bit more information on the finalists. Moriarty is currently Sr. Deputy Chief of the Haverill Fire Department, while Mitchell serves as Deputy Chief of the fire department in North Cumberland, RI. Assistant Town Administrator Vanessa Hale said selectmen will interview both candidates on December 21 and will meet again on December 22 to vote on the appointment.
I asked Hale if any internal applicants had made it to the group of six candidates that took part in the assessment center last month, but she said she could not comment due to confidentiality restrictions.
I find it rather sad that none of the hometown boys made the cut.
I agree with you John, kind of a shame, we have some wonderful Firefighters on staff here in Town.
Ditto, what a shame
I’m biased but I think that the town could have done a food thing hiring Joe Mauro or my brother Neal Aspesi. Last time Southborough went out of town for a chief we got gaudette. I think the taxpayers are still paying him. The selectman should have to explain why all the other department heads have been promoted from within.