EXETER — The Exeter Fire Service recently announced the promotion of eight of its members to the ranks of lieutenant and captain.
Surrounded by fellow firefighters and rescuers, Exeter Fire pensioners, family, friends, members of the police service and city officials, the officers gathered for a promotional swearing-in ceremony on the 7 July as they continue to serve their community.
Captain Michael Avellino, Captain Mark Bradford, Captain Andrew Martin and Captain Patrick Robicheau were promoted from fire lieutenant to fire captain. Lt. Ryan Booth, Lt. Stephen Holmes, Lt. Timothy Sirois, and Lt. Matthew Slattery were promoted from team leader to fire lieutenant.
Fire Chief Eric Wilking led the ceremony, congratulating the new officers and commending members of the department for their commitment to the fire service and the protection of the city of Exeter.
“We protect it with the best, best and most dedicated fire service providers in this state and for that we should be grateful,” he told those in attendance.
Addressing the new lieutenants, Wilking said it took years of experience and constant training and testing to get to this point in their careers.
“These gentlemen have demonstrated to both their peers and their supervisors that they can lead…and we believe they are up to those challenges,” he said.
Wilking said the department will continue to assess its needs over the next year and duties will be transferred between lieutenants and captains.
He talked about the recent personnel changes that have been made and the need for additional captain positions as the department grows and gets busier. The department routinely responds to more than 4,000 calls a year, and with many back-to-back calls, Wilking said the need for oversight and leadership on every device, as well as at the station, becomes more necessary.
With a shift complement now of seven, he said having two officers assigned to each shift better meets the best practice of two to three reporting to each supervisor.
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Speaking to new fire captains, Wilking said time management and task delegation will become necessary to succeed in the position.
“The captain plays an important role in setting the daily rhythm of each shift,” he said. “Although he is absolutely the shift manager, the captain will assign responsibilities and the position will increasingly approximate that of administrative duties and management activities such as building maintenance, vehicles, command supplies and… maintaining shift staff, requesting time off, managing overtime and coordinating these tasks.
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As newly sworn lieutenants and captains take on their new roles, Wilking said they will have to make tough choices on tough calls.
“You can ask your firefighters to perform difficult tasks and put them in danger if necessary,” he said. “Lead from the front, show them the way, rely on your good and bad experiences and use the training to make the decision.
