Former fire chief returns to position in Etna

ETNA – After months of communitywide controversy involving the town’s Fire Department, a familiar face has moved to its helm.

Selectmen unanimously approved on Monday night the appointment of Walter Gibbons as the town’s fire chief. Gibbons previously served as chief for 10 years from 1995 to 2005 but resigned to take a position on the town’s Board of Selectmen.

Gibbons was 22 years old when he was first appointed fire chief in 1995, but despite the experience he has gained since that time, he admitted this second term is scarier than the first.

“I was kind of ecstatic,” Gibbons said when he learned he was chosen for the position. “I was a little bit more scared this time rather than last time around in 1995. There is a lot of work to be done, but things are very much fixable.”

In October, selectmen shut down the department for a week, citing a history of insubordination and personnel issues. Allegations of sexual harassment and drinking within the department also were noted by selectmen. Also at that time, then-chief Rick Goodell was suspended for two weeks for videotaping his drive to emergency scenes using a camera mounted on the dashboard of his personal vehicle and then posting the clips on YouTube, a global video-sharing Web site.

Goodell submitted a letter of resignation in November to go into effect Jan. 1, but Town Manager Evelyn Serval said she accepted his resignation on Monday so Gibbons could immediately assume the post.

Gibbons, who was serving on the Board of Selectmen, resigned from that post on Monday in order to take the chief position. His term was set to expire in March and he did not intend to seek re-election, Gibbons said. The board will operate with only four members until the Feb. 29 election, Serval said.

“It’s a lot harder to be a selectman than people realize,” Gibbons said. “My heart didn’t set with that type of approach. I am a fire-rescue guy.”

Three other candidates sought the Etna chief position, but Serval said that Gibbons was the best fit. Etna firefighter Lt. Abiel Martinez, Stetson chief Kim Tracy and firefighter Steve DeWitt, who lives in Brewer, also applied for the position, according to Serval. Martinez did not meet the minimum training requirements for the position, Tracy wanted to hold the Stetson and Etna posts simultaneously, and the distance between DeWitt’s home and the station was a concern, Serval said.

“Walter’s heart is in Etna,” Serval said. Tracy and DeWitt were “very qualified, but I think that in the best interests of the Fire Department, there is a better fit with Walter.”

Busy finishing payroll for the year on Tuesday, Gibbons said his first goal for the department is to provide a foundation of policies, guidelines and chain of command. The department needs to have open communication with the community, town manager and selectmen, he said. A secondary goal would be to recruit new members to the department. In mid-2006, the department had around 25 members, but it is now down to 14, he said. Town controversy was not the only reason for the loss of numbers, he said. Several members left because job or family commitments have pulled them in other directions.

“In six months, I believe there is going to be a big change here, not only the Fire Department, but the community,” Gibbons said. “This is going to take one of those check marks that has been gobbling up our time and get it to a position that everyone is comfortable with.”

Toni-Lynn Robbins may be reached at trobbins@bangordailynews.net or 990-8074.