Essex fire department heads toward full-time leadership restructure
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of August 18, 2026
Essex fire department heads toward full-time leadership restructure after joint board meeting. The Board of Selectmen and Board of Fire Engineers reached consensus on August 18 to pursue hiring a full-time fire chief and dissolving the Board of Engineers. Finance Committee Chair Jodi Harris reported the town has budgeted $120,000 for the chief position plus $40,000 in benefits.
The full-time chief would handle administrative tasks while responding to calls. Restructuring requires voter approval of state statute MGL Chapter 48, Section 42a at Fall Town Meeting. Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki indicated the town hopes to hire a chief by February 2027 to participate in fiscal 2028 budgeting.
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Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of August 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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