Nantucket's choice for new fire chief ignites backlash, recall effort, petition

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named a former firefighter who spoke during the Aug. 17 Select Board meeting. He is Mac Davis. A clarification has also been made to information on the staffing within the Nantucket Fire Department.

NANTUCKET — A former island firefighter described the town officials' choice for Nantucket's next fire chief as an "absolute slap in the face" to the current deputy chief.

With a 3-1 vote during an Aug. 17 meeting, the Select Board appointed Michael Cranson, a retired fire chief from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, as the fire department's top executive. He officially begins on Oct. 1.

"You're going to bring in a guy who's going to step over (Deputy Fire Chief) Sean Mitchell ... you know what he's going to do?" said former firefighter Mac Davis during public comment. "They're going to go, 'Hey Sean, which way should I go to attack this fire? Give me your advice.'"

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Cranson could not be reached for comment.

But his appointment has ignited controversy on Nantucket, as firefighters and residents have rallied around Deputy Fire Chief Sean Mitchell, who has served with the department since 2006, for the post. The longtime island resident has seen a groundswell of community support after leading the department's response to the fast-moving Veranda House fire on July 9.

At the time of the fire, current Chief Stephen A. Murphy was on leave due to a shoulder surgery. After 35 years with the department, Murphy has now retired.

Mitchell has said he applied for the post after being recruited by Town Manager C. Elizabeth Gibson. He was not chosen as a finalist.

More: 'Heartbroken': 338-year-old Veranda House sustains $12M of damage from fire

To fill the gap between Murphy's retirement and Cranson's start date, Martin Greene, the former Bourne fire chief, has been tapped to serve as Nantucket's interim fire chief beginning last Friday.

Greene will be paid $600 per day plus expenses.

How the search was conducted

John Parow Consulting & Associates of Chelmsford led the search. Eighteen resumes were received, with eight candidates chosen for interviews. Three finalists were then selected to go onto the next step, an assessment center where they participated in five specific exercises.

In a memo to Mitchell on July 17, Gibson said he did not meet the criteria for the assessment center, pointing to budget experience, chief officer experience, collective bargaining contract negotiations, and "any operational plans that (he has) developed that would progressively move the department forward," among other factors.

Mitchell addressed these concerns in a memo of his own on July 21, pointing to his work on obtaining low-PFAS turnout gear for the department, pursuing and winning grants, and the Veranda House fire response.

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Two finalists were later selected, with the other being Chris Christopoulos Jr., the fire chief of Lebanon, New Hampshire, according to reporting by Nantucket Current. Christopoulos later removed himself from consideration.

Nantucket Firefighters Local 2509 backed Mitchell for the post, calling him a "qualified and worthy candidate." In a letter to members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, the union issued a "request to stand down," urging potential candidates to refrain from seeking the chief and interim chief jobs.

A citizen petition supporting Mitchell as chief also gathered 872 signatures.

"I didn't sign up for this"

In a statement to the Times, Gibson called it "disheartening ... that a small group of island residents are not in support of the search process and its outcome." According to Gibson, the town has invested "nearly $25 million in people, equipment and facilities for the department since 2018."

"The selection of a fire chief, especially for a community as unique as Nantucket, is a complex undertaking guided by many stringent and non-negotiable fire service requirements and qualifications," wrote Gibson. "Fire chief is not an elected position, nor should the selection of one be dictated by social pressure or decided in the court of public opinion."

She has also said the town will work on a succession plan to help propel firefighters into leadership roles in the future.

Both Gibson and some Select Board members, who approved Cranson for the post, decried what they called a nasty public discourse surrounding the appointment.

"I don't appreciate personal attacks on board members or town administration. When we disagree, I would hope we would disagree with grace and respect for one another," member Brooke Mohr said on Aug. 17. "I didn't sign up for this. I didn't sign up for personal attacks."

About Nantucket's incoming fire chief

Cranson served with the Portsmouth Fire Department for 27 years, beginning as a probationary firefighter in August of 1991, according to the Newport Daily News. He began days before Hurricane Bob struck Rhode Island.

Over those years, he held every position in the Portsmouth Fire Department, culminating in his appointment as chief in late 2012 before his retirement in 2018.

According to the five-page deal, he will receive a base salary of $165,000. The contract runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2025 and requires that he live on Nantucket.

Earlier:  Veranda House fire on Nantucket leaves residents and workers shaken

During each year of full employment, Cranson is also entitled to four weeks of vacation and 15 sick days. The town will also use a performance review conducted at the anniversary date under the contract to consider pay increases.

"Can't manage by Facebook likes"

Select Board Chair Jason Bridges and board members Matt Fee, and Brooke Mohr backed the contract, while board Vice-Chair Dawn Hill Holdgate dissented. Member Melissa Murphy did not attend the meeting and did not vote.

"I can't, I can't do it. It's not a 'no,'" said Holdgate. "I want to put it off. I'm not ready."

She added that she worried Cranson will not get the respect of the firefighters, sparking discord within the department.

But Fee said town officials "can't manage by Facebook likes."

"In other hires I've been involved in, I've said, 'We can get two people instead of one person,'" said Fee. "We're getting two with this hire." 

Recall effort now underway

An effort to unseat Bridges is now underway. A letter circulated by former and current families of firefighters and provided to the Times says that he did not inform the public when a 15-day period where the Select Board could have vetoed Cranson's appointment had closed, although he was not required to do so.

"Frankly, our concerns go well beyond who Nantucket’s next fire chief is. We feel obligated to point out that the troubles plaguing the Fire Department will likely not be solved just by a new chief," reads the letter, pointing to years-long struggles with staffing.

Bridges could not be reached for comment.

According to the town charter, 200 voters must file an affidavit with the town clerk identifying the name of the officer they want to recall and stating why. Once the signatures have been certified, the clerk will then issue a petition that requires signatures by 20% of Nantucket's registered voters.

Once those signatures have been certified, the Select Board receives the petition and the member who is the subject of the recall is afforded an opportunity to resign. If the member does not resign within seven days, the Select Board orders a recall election to be held as part of the next annual election for town officers.

That next election is set for May 23, 2023.

Staffing shortages, equipment issues

Firefighters and their families also highlighted staffing shortages and flawed equipment within the Nantucket Fire Department during the Aug. 17 meeting. Fire Prevention Officer Joe Townsend listed what he said were problems within the department's inventory — an out-of-service Engine 4, and Engine 3, which he said has a leak in its water tank. 

Ayesha Khan is the wife of Nantucket fire Capt. Nate Barber. The two were getting coffee when they learned the nearby Veranda House was on fire on July 9. Barber ran into the burning hotel to help guests escape.

With her voice cracking, Khan said at the meeting she's often heard from Barber that the department is understaffed. Pointing to the Veranda House fire, she said the island needs to do more to ensure safety for firefighters.

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"I worry constantly about my husband and what happens if I become a widow because of under-staffing. What happens if one of my friends becomes a widow or our children don't have fathers or mothers because we just don't have housing for staffing or money or whatever it is," Khan said.

She later added that Nantucket "can't keep relying on these people to act like superheroes."

According to Gibson, there are 24 firefighters. That figure includes captains, firefighter/EMTs, and firefighter/paramedics. The town is also in the process of filling four vacant firefighter positions, she said.

Prior to the board vote on Aug. 17, Mohr said she's learned since joining the Select Board that community demands and needs outstrip the resources, calling the fire department "a glaring example of that."

"Our growth in our revenue is capped at 2.5% a year, our community is growing far faster ... and I think we have to have a serious conversation about what we left behind due to those constraints," said Mohr.

In a statement to the Times, Mitchell, the deputy fire chief, said he and his family are grateful for "the outpouring of support we've received from past and present members of the fire department as well as the greater Nantucket community."

He said he's happy to continue as the deputy chief, no matter who the next chief is. His concerns are with Nantucket town leaders, he said, and years of neglect of the fire department, which he said has created an "an unsafe workplace for Nantucket firefighters and may eventually result in a catastrophe for our community."

"I'm hopeful the next chief is granted the freedom to address these issues," said Mitchell.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Nantucket's choice for new fire chief ignites backlash, recall effort