Wright named new Sharon Fire Chief

Sharon - Following the retirement of former Fire Chief Dennis Mann, more than 60 candidates from across the region applied to fill his spot. On Tuesday, after a rigorous screening process and much deliberation, the Board of Selectmen has unanimously selected Chief James Wright as the new chief.

Wright, who made his case to the selectmen on July 19, has been a firefighter his whole life. An Athol native, Wright was born into a firefighter family, and joined the force as soon as he was old enough to do so.

A graduate of UMass-Amherst, he spent years as a firefighter in the Air National Guard, before moving back to his hometown department in Athol. After years of service, he was promoted to chief in 1997, and stayed in that position for 14 years. Although, he said he loved Athol, he said he was excited to start over in a new town.

 “I’m excited for the opportunity for a new challenge,” he said. “It would be nice to have a new outlook from a new chair, so to speak.”

The town had to go through two search processes, with the first having both finalists withdrawing from consideration after being interviewed.

Wright was one of three candidates that made it through the second screening process, to interview with the board. The other two candidates were Portsmouth Fire Chief Jeffrey Lynch and Middleborough Fire Chief Lance Benjamino.

Both Chief Lynch and Chief Wright said they would relocate to Sharon, if given the job. Benjamino, who said he would remain in his hometown of Hanson, was eliminated from the selection after the interview. 

Chairman Richard Powell said that it was a very difficult decision to make because they were all capable chiefs.

 “We had three very strong candidates, each of whom would serve the town well,” he said.

Wright was unanimously recommended for the position from the screening committee for his many years of experience and his ability to gather funds for his department.

 “I bring a lot of years of experience in a similar type of organization,” he said.

Wright, who anxiously watched the meeting on a TV screen next door at the fire department, came to the town hall after the decision was made and said he was glad to have been offered the job. At his interview, he said the job meant a lot to him because he loved being a firefighter.

 “I’m extremely passionate about what I do,” he said.

Evan Koslof

8/3/11

Originally Posted: http://www.wickedlocal.com/sharon/news/x1800183265/Wright-named-new-Sharon-Fire-Chief#axzz1Tw0FonCe