WESTBROOK – Wayne Jones is the Westbrook Fire Department’s new deputy fire chief, filling a permanent position that has been vacant for more than a year and a half.

Jones, 50, is in his 27th year with the fire department, and has been promoted from the position of captain, which he held for the past 22 years.

Public Safety Director Michael Pardue announced the decision in an internal memo to the city last week, making good on a promise to make hiring the deputy one of his first priorities upon taking on the role of director last month.

The last person to officially hold the deputy chief’s position on a permanent basis was Thaddeus Soltys, who was laid off in January 2010, initially part of a reorganization of the department by Mayor Colleen Hilton that was supposed to include the elimination of the position altogether.

However, by March 2010, the city hired Sandra Hillsgrove to be deputy chief. Hillsgrove, however, was on a paid limited contract from Meridith, N.H.-based firm Municipal Resources, Inc. Hillsgrove was hired in part to help the department to recover from a scandal involving sexual harassment lawsuits.

Once her contract expired on Jan. 1 of this year, Jones became interim deputy chief, and eventually joined a list of 40 internal and external candidates for the job.

City Administrator Jerre Bryant said the city’s public safety commission pared the list down to a group of finalists. A final team of interviewers, including Bryant, Hilton, and Pardue, then chose Jones, with Hilton making the appointment official.

Bryant said Jones will be paid $73,636 plus benefits.

Pardue, in his memo, cited Bruce Dyer, chair of the public safety commission, who said of Jones, “Wayne brings experience, leadership and respect to this position. Through an extensive search, Wayne impressed us all with his honesty, his ability to work with people and his enthusiasm to continue to work collaboratively with Chief Pardue in bringing positive change and increased professionalism to the Westbrook Fire Rescue Department.”

Wayne Jones is the Westbrook Fire Department’s new deputy fire
chief.