WESTFIELD – With current Fire Chief Patrick Egloff set to retire in April, the Fire Commission is holding a special meeting next week to interview Deputy Chief Eric Bishop for the position, but that wasn’t an assurance he will be appointed.
Bishop is the only member of the department who is qualified to serve as chief, and on Feb. 10 graduated from the Fire Service Leaders Complete Management Training Program, according to the city.
He is also the only member of the department who has met the Civil Service requirements to serve as a chief.
During the commission’s meeting in early January, the city’s Personnel Director Anne Larkham said that because there was only one candidate on the hiring list, she considered it “short,” but the commissioners weren’t compelled to hire from it.
However, if they wanted to interview additional candidates, “things would have to be done to make it happen through Civil Service because it is a Civil Service position,” according to the minutes of the meeting.
As the commission was preparing for the interview, it sought help from the department’s members, asking them to complete a survey of what they believed were the important qualities the next chief should have, according to the minutes of its January meeting.
Commission Chair Jeffrey Trant said during the meeting that 18 members responded to the survey, which asked:
- What qualities and leadership characteristics do you believe are most important for the next chief?
- What are the key strategic challenges the department will face in the next three years?
- Is there any additional information the commission should consider when making an appointment?
Those who responded wanted the chief to have integrity, be honest, demonstrate ethical leadership, be empathetic and have respect for the department’s members, and be team-oriented and collaborative, according to the survey results.
The responses about what challenges the department is facing were clear: recruiting and retention of its members, and budgetary constraints and funding.
As for additional information, nearly half the respondents suggested considering outside candidates.
While noting the low response rate, an assessment of the survey indicated the department is facing significant challenges, particularly in recruitment and retention, morale and facilities.
“The recurring theme is the need for a change in culture and a more open and transparent leadership style,” according to the survey.
There were also responses about issues raised last year in a report on the department by the New Hampshire-based Municipal Resources, Inc.
The 178-page report offered 140 recommendations to enhance the performance of the department, prioritizing over a dozen “critical challenges” facing the department and offering recommendations to address each one.
The challenges and recommendations were developed by interviewing nearly every member of the department to get their feedback on the department’s strengths and weaknesses, and “how to help improve things for the future.”
One finding was the department’s lack of hardware and software technology, and MRI recommended that the department “explore the implementation of a multi-faceted software package that streamlines” administration, inspections and reporting.
The second challenge the respondents pointed out was the lack of engagement and investment by many local government officials. They noted that there was a lack of communication between some of the fire staff and those officials.
MRI suggested holding “regular” meetings between fire staff and officials with varying levels of responsibility to “share information and work towards common goals.”
MRI had several recommendations about adding personnel to the department, including hiring a new assistant fire chief or a non-union lieutenant or captain at Station 2, also known as the Little River Station.
The firm also identified a lack of, and outdated, standard operating and response procedures, and rules and regulations for the department to follow, and suggested creating a joint labor-management team to review those procedures and add and/or update them as needed.
For the department’s headquarters, MRI said a “spatial study” was needed to analyze the space needs for the facility now and what might be needed in the future, and to conduct an “overall review of current facility, operational needs [and] infrastructure.”
Other recommendations included having the city consider removing the fire chief’s position from Civil Service, which Mayor Michael McCabe has endorsed, and eliminating the Fire Commission.
Egloff was appointed in 2019 and was part of a sexual assault investigation that included three Westfield firefighters. A report from an outside attorney that investigated the allegations cleared Egloff of any wrongdoing.
Those firefighters filed complaints in January that the city and the Fire Commission fired them in 2019 in retaliation for an allegation of sexual misconduct by Egloff. A lawsuit filed by the three was settled in April 2023 for $2.3 million.
