GRANBY — The fire chief at Barnes Air National Guard in Westfield has been chosen to lead the Granby Fire Department.
The Select Board decided in a 2-to-1 vote Monday to accept Town Administrator Chris Martin’s recommendation of John E. Mitchell Jr.
“It was a very tough decision. We had three excellent candidates,” Martin said.
At Barnes, Mitchell oversees the day-to-day operations of firefighting crew comprising about 60 people.
He is a resident of South Hadley and holds bachelor’s degree in fire science administration. He also served in the Air Force in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.
Reached Monday night Mitchell said he was very pleased and excited to be selected.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the residents of Granby and making the town safer and meeting the needs of the community with fire and EMS services,” he said.
Select Board Chairman Mark Bail cast the lone dissenting vote saying that his preference was for James A. Cleveland Jr., a deputy fire service director from Loving, New Mexico.
Following the meeting, Bail said his vote was a pro-Cleveland vote and he had nothing against Mitchell.
“I look forward to working with him as fire chief,” Bail said.
Selectman Louis Barry agreed that Cleveland was very qualified and would fit in with the department but the bottom line was to go with the recommendation of town administrator.
“We had at least two exceptional candidates,” Barry said. “I would be happy with either one. If you [Martin] feel he is the most suitable, I’m good with that.”
Barry said he was also impressed by an action plan Mitchell presented early on in the interview process saying it was obvious Mitchell put a lot of thought in to it.
Following the meeting, Martin said it wasn’t Mitchell’s resume that convinced him but rather his responses while being interviewed by the Select Board.
“They all had excellent resumes,” he said.
The position has been open since March 2016 when then Chief Russell Anderson left the post after 10 years.
The Granby Chief Search Committee received 12 applications for the position and planned to interviewed five. Three candidates were named finalists and interviewed in open session by the board on Jan. 13.
Mitchell will need to pass a physical examination as well as complete contract negotiations before officially taking the helm. The town advertised the position between $70,000 and $80,000 a year.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.