ROCKPORT — A firefighter who's been part of Rockport's Fire Department for more than three decades has been named by his peers to lead the department.
Assistant Chief James "Jim" Doyle was the senior member of the town's Board of Fire Engineers, which manages the department and is charged with appointing its leader. Now, the three-member board has selected Doyle to be the town's next fire chief.
Former Fire Chief Russell Anderson officially retired yesterday on his 70th birthday, closing out a firefighting career that spanned more than five decades.
Doyle, 52, said yesterday that keeping his firefighters safe with the latest training and most current equipment is his top priority.
"I didn't expect it, but I'm very happy with it; I've worked toward this position my whole career," said Doyle, who gets a $5,414 annual stipend for the chief's post. "Keeping the guys in up-to-date gear and training is going to be the big thing moving forward.
"Right now, we're in very good shape with our gear, we're compliant with the regulations, but I think we need to work on more training," Doyle added.
Doyle's career began in 1975, when he joined the Sandy Bay Engine Co. at age 18. He quickly climbed the managerial ladder, first attaining the position of lieutenant and then captain in 1985. He served as captain until 2000, when he was appointed by selectmen to the Board of Fire Engineers and, subsequently, was selected assistant chief.
However, you'd have to look back another decade — to the mid-1960s — to find when Doyle's interest in firefighting truly began.
"My father (Robert) was in the Fire Department for 25 years before me," Doyle said. "I used to go down to the station with him in the '60s and really got into it."
Doyle's son, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with it, he said with a laugh.
Rockport's volunteer department boasts approximately 50 firefighters with several more waiting to join the department as regulars.
Assistant Chief Kirk Keating and newly appointedw Assistant Chief John "Jack" Porter comprise the rest of the Board of Fire Engineers.
The board recently submitted capital requests to the town's Capital Improvement Planning Committee totalling $1.35 million.
The requests include $600,000 to repair and relocate the Pigeon Cove fire station and a purchase a new ladder truck, which is estimated to cost around $750,000. The department's lone ladder truck is 55 years old.
Doyle said the department applied for a grant to help cover the cost of the truck, and sought another grant for a new air supply system that would allow firefighters to refill their air tanks without having to leave a fire scene, but that the department had to proceed with the capital request list under the assumption it would not receive any grant money.
"The town of Rockport supports the Fire Department very good," Doyle said. "They take care of us very well; all the guys do a great job and the town appreciates it."
Doyle said he hopes to pick up where Anderson left off, and to make the transition as smooth as possible.
"The former chief did a great job, he was well liked," he said. "We had our differences, but I learned a lot from him, too."
State law requires firefighters to retire at age 65, but Anderson was already 65 when the law was enacted in 2004.
Anderson sought an exemption and was subsequently allowed by selectmen to continue serving as chief until age 70, contingent on the passage of annual physical exams. Anderson also wrote a letter to selectmen this year requesting a second extension, but his request this time was denied.
Anderson, a High Street resident, joined the town's Forest Fire unit in 1953, and served there until 1963 when he served in the Army. Upon his return in 1965, he transferred to Engine Co. 1 where he stayed until 1980 when he was elected captain. He was appointed to the Board of Fire Engineers as an assistant chief in 1985 and became chief in 1992.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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