Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kelley is pinned by his wife, Danielle, at a Select Board meeting on April 27. (Photo Courtesy East Bridgewater Fire Department)
EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief John Dzialo is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Kelley to the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, following a competitive internal assessment process.
Deputy Chief Kelley was officially sworn in on April 27 at the East Bridgewater Select Board meeting at Town Hall.
Kelley, who has served the East Bridgewater Fire Department since 2007, most recently held the rank of Captain/EMT-Paramedic. He will continue in his roles as Public Information Officer and Public Education Coordinator alongside his new command responsibilities.
His appointment followed an assessment center administered by a third-party evaluation firm through which four internal candidates participated. All four met the qualifying threshold. Following the assessment, Chief Dzialo conducted individual interviews before selecting Kelley, who earned the highest score in the process.
“This is a big promotion for the department,” said Chief Dzialo. “Many had asked whether I would look outside. After getting to know our staff, I was glad to find that we had a number of well-qualified candidates right here. That speaks to the quality of the people we have in East Bridgewater.”
Deputy Chief Kelley holds a Master of Public Administration in Fire and Emergency Services from Anna Maria College, a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Bentley College and an Associate of Science in Fire Science from Massasoit Community College. He carries Fire Officer III, Incident Safety Officer and Hazardous Materials Operational certifications, among others, and holds active EMT-Paramedic licensure.
He began his fire service career with the Halifax Fire Department in 2004 before joining East Bridgewater in 2007. Over nearly two decades with the department, he has served as firefighter, lieutenant and captain, and has led initiatives including a high school fire cadet program and the SAFE and Senior SAFE programs in town.
“I am honored to serve the East Bridgewater community and this department in a new capacity,” said Deputy Chief Kelley. “The dedication I see from our firefighters every day makes this department something special, and I look forward to building on that.”
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Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kelley, left, and Fire Chief John Dzialo. (Photo Courtesy East Bridgewater Fire Department)