New leadership for Worcester Fire Department: 24 promoted, including chief

WORCESTER — Standing next to his new leadership team, city Fire Chief Martin Dyer was officially promoted along with 23 other Fire Department employees at a ceremony Thursday afternoon at Worcester Technical High School.

Among the 24 were Jason Ehrets, the first person of color to be promoted deputy chief in the city's history; and William Mosley, the department's diversity officer, who is the second person of color to be promoted to district chief.

In recent years, the Fire Department has worked to improve diversity within its ranks. Mosley, who is Black, has been a leader in that push.

"When we ask a group of children what they want to be when they grow up, you can almost guarantee that you will have at least one aspire to be a firefighter in the crowd," City Manager Eric Batista, who is himself the city's first Latino manager, said. "Diverse leadership creates diverse role models and the inspiration for more future firefighters and heroes regardless of background."

Dyer, a 19-year veteran of the Worcester Fire Department, was appointed permanent fire chief in February. He had been serving as acting chief since 2021 following Chief Michael Lavoie's retirement.

In the acting role, Dyer led the development and implementation of the department’s strategic plan and instituted the recommendations from Emergency Services Consulting International’s master plan.

Dyer also secured grants delivering $15 million to increase staffing and equipment for the department, oversaw the hiring and training of more than 60 recruits and successfully negotiated a labor contract.

Roche, others also promoted

As part of structural changes that came with the department's strategic plan, Adam Roche was promoted to the new position of assistant fire chief, and four were promoted to the position of deputy chief: Ehrets, Samuel Richesson, Gary Arpin and Rob Courtney.

In September 2021, a 248-page report found the Fire Department required immediate intervention in the wake of the 2019 line-of-duty death of Lt. Jason Menard.

The report included a roadmap to implement needed changes — from staffing to command structure to the location of fire stations — that could make the department safer and more effective in a growing, changing city.

In May 2022, the Fire Department proposed adding two deputy chiefs and two assistant chiefs to its ranks.

"The creation of these new leadership positions will allow greater possibility for training and advancement," Mayor Joseph M. Petty said.

Dyer has climbed up the ladder of Fire Department leadership and served in multiple roles, such as a hazardous material technician, dive rescue technician and technology officer.

"It takes a special person to lead the entire department and I know Chief Dyer is up to that task," Batista said.

Humble approach to ceremony

Instead of having a promotion ceremony for himself, Dyer requested to be promoted along with his team, Batista said.

Following his promotion, Dyer said today's firefighters are tasked with responding to emergencies that past firefighters could not have even imagined, such as hazardous materials in energy storage systems, technical rescues and medical and behavioral emergencies. The low margin of error in emergencies requires highly skilled firefighters led by exemplary officers, Dyer said.

"As a leadership team, we give the members of our department, residents and visitors our solemn promise that the needs of this department, its service to its mission, to professionally serve and protect the lives and property of the community, will always be our guiding principle," Dyer said.

The following five were promoted to district fire chief: Thomas Harding, Timothy Ridick, Thomas Coyle, Robert Judge and Mosley.

The following five were promoted to fire captain: Brandon Collier, Daniel Gagne, Timothy Foley, Mark Apholt and Brian Burris.

Eight were promoted to lieutenant: James Turner, Daniel Spencer, James Donahue, Timothy Lawrence, Brian Brotherton, Sean Gaffney, James Foley and Bruce Lariveiere.

Spencer and Brotherton are sons of Lt. Thomas Spencer and Worcester firefighter Paul Brotherton, two of the six firefighters who died in the 1999 Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer to lead restructured department