ORANGE — The outgoing fire chief has agreed to stay on as Orange’s interim chief until his replacement is hired.
James Young Jr. is set to finish in Orange on Feb. 13 and take over as the chief in Londonderry, New Hampshire, four days later, but has agreed to bridge the gap between his tenure and that of his successor. Young told Selectboard members on Wednesday that he will start his new position with a daily round-trip commute of three hours, but that he can handle Orange’s administrative duties on nights and weekends.
He explained the responsibilities include accounts receivable, accounts payable and applying for grants.
“I’ll do the best I can,” Young said at Wednesday’s meeting, where Selectboard members also formally accepted his resignation as fire chief. “Obviously, I can’t let it interfere with this opportunity at my new full-time job, where I’m going. I can’t let it interfere with that, but I will do the best I can.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, it was explained that only Young has the administrative experience for the role. He told Selectboard members he has the utmost faith that his fire captains will be able to handle the department’s day-to-day operations.
“They’re great at that,” Young said.
Selectboard Vice Chair Julie Davis thanked Young for his service and dedication, but said she is concerned about having an interim chief who is available only on nights and weekends. Young said he understands the concern and suggested holding weekly or biweekly meetings between town government and Fire Department leadership. He also suggested touching base again in a couple weeks.
Selectboard member Jane Peirce mentioned she wants Town Administrator Matthew Fortier to work out Young’s compensation for serving as interim chief, as well as the structure for such a role.
When discussion moved to organizing a screening committee to find Young’s replacement, Fortier mentioned the town could hire a private consulting firm to handle a broader search, but “there is a cost associated with that.”
He said it is critical to recruit people with fire administration experience and he knows a few retired fire chiefs who could serve on a local screening committee.
“We don’t want to just grab five random people,” he said.
The Selectboard expects to staff the screening committee at the Feb. 4 meeting.