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Dalton Fire Chief Christian Tobin holds his accreditation from the state Fire Service Commission.

Dalton Fire Chief Earns Accreditation

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DALTON, Mass. — Fire Chief Christian Tobin has earned his accreditation through the state Fire Service Commission. 
 
The announcement was made during a Board of Water Commissioners meeting in April. 
 
"It is not an easy thing to do in the short time that he has been here, and the district is appreciative of everything he has done thus far for the department," to Prudential Committee Chair Daniel Filiault said during the meeting.
 
The state Fire Service Commission is a gubernatorial-appointed board that has established a process for uniform credentialing for fire chiefs 
 
During this process, Tobin had to submit several documents to the commission, including a resume that outlined his years of service, progression within the fire service structure, attendance at training and professional development courses,
 
It also required the submission of formal education achievements and participation in state and national certification programs.
 
This information was applied to a scoring matrix that assigned a point value to the various levels of accomplishment submitted by the candidate.
 
The applicant is awarded the fire chief credential upon reaching or surpassing the established minimum score. 
 
This credential signifies that the applicant has worked hard to acquire the specialized knowledge and skills required to be an effective leader in the fire service.
 
To keep this accreditation valid, Tobin must participate in recurring training and professional development programs approved by the Fire Service Commission and submit proof of completion every three years.
 
The Fire Chief Credentialing Program intends to compare the local officials' training and educational achievements to an established standard with a third-party evaluation
 
The state Fire Service Commission stated in its release that it believes that this process will assist communities' fire service leaders in facing the challenges ahead and ensuring that the fire service across the Commonwealth continues to provide the most effective fire, emergency medical, and rescue services that residents have come to expect.
 
The program is open to all members of the fire service in the commonwealth holding the rank
of lieutenant or above in a Fire Department. 

Tags: accreditation,   fire chief,   

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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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