WILBRAHAM – With Fire Chief Francis Nothe set to retire on Jan. 20, 2017, the town has appointed Deputy Fire Chief David Bourcier as acting chief while a search to find Nothe’s successor is underway.

“We’re sad to see the chief go and are very happy to have had him serve the town for decades that he performed so beautifully during,” Board of Selectmen Chair Susan Bunnell told Reminder Publications.

She added the board would be provided information about past processes for hiring fire chiefs from Human Resources Coordinator Herta Dane.

“So, all three [selectmen] will be reviewing that and come to our own thoughts about the process and that will be discussed during open session at our next meeting, which is Jan. 9,” Bunnell said.

The intent is for the board to come to a decision about the search process by the end of its next meeting, she noted.

Bunnell said the board is focused on making the transition “as smooth and seamless as possible.”

She added, “We feel that the department is well run and well staffed and we’re looking to take fairly quick action … The timeline’s going to be impacted by the nature of the process. For example, if we convene a committee obviously there’d be some timeline with getting people on board with that; get them credentials to get them going. And that would be one of the options that we’ve used in the past for this level of job search.”

A new chief would likely be hired before this upcoming spring, she noted.

When asked what kind of attributes the board would look for in candidates, Bunnell replied, “The chief’s role obviously requires significant managerial skills and that involves the ability to manage the budget as well as manpower. And then, because it’s a public safety division, obviously we are looking for someone with extensive experience in the functions that the department performs [such as] EMT services and firefighting.”