With a nod of approval from the Westbrook City Council and a standing ovation from city employees Monday night, Daniel Brock was officially named the city’s new fire chief, taking the reins of a department in turmoil.
Brock said Tuesday, his first day of work in Westbrook, he wasn’t daunted by the issues that have arisen in the department – namely, the claims of sexual harassment by two female firefighters that led to seven other firefighters being disciplined by the city last month.
“Every department has problems,” said Brock, who has served as chief of three departments through the past 17 years.
Mostly recently, Brock helped Kennebunkport transition its four independent fire companies into one department. Before that, he spent six years as chief in Cohasset, Mass., followed by seven years as chief in Wrentham, Mass.
“You just have to deal with issues as they come up,” Brock said about his management style.
Brock said he didn’t have any immediate goals for the department. With less than half a day between being hired and starting work, Brock spent the day Tuesday trying to figure out how the department runs and getting to know the firefighters.
Though Brock still has some names left to learn, there’s one face in the public safety building that’s very familiar to him. Brock said he and Police Chief Bill Baker grew up as neighbors in Southborough, Mass., and later, Baker served as police chief there while Brock’s father was fire chief.
Now, Brock is taking over the fire department from Baker, who has been acting chief since the abrupt retirement of Gary Littlefield in October, following the request for leave by two female firefighters, Kathy Rogers and Lisa Theberge.
Brock, who was paid $58,000 in Kennebunkport, will receive $73,931 in Westbrook. Littlefield was earning $76,149 when he retired.
Brock got his start as a call firefighter in his and Baker’s hometown. While studying mathematics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he worked as a Southborough firefighter during the summers. Though he had set out to be an actuary, Brock was offered a full-time firefighting job after he graduated because another firefighter had been injured.
“I just enjoyed it,” Brock said about why he never left firefighting to return to number crunching.
He also holds an associate degree in fire science from Quinsigamond Community College and has served as a fire instructor at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
Since leaving Kennebunkport in March, Brock has been looking for work and, he said, looking for a challenge.
According to Baker, Brock “comes from a long tradition in the fire service.” He described the new chief as “cerebral and insightful,” and said he hands over the department to Brock with complete confidence.
Brock said “it’s a privilege” to have been chosen to work in Westbrook, where, he said, employees seem to have the interest of the city at heart.
“I think it’s going to be very rewarding,” he said.
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