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New asst. fire chief selected

By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer

October 31, 2006

Danbury's fire chief will be Greenwich's new assistant fire chief, a position with overall authority for the department's daily operations, budgeting, training and supervising of four deputy chiefs.

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously yesterday to hire Peter J. Siecienski, 50, a town native and 34-year-veteran of the Danbury Fire Department, where he has been chief since 2001.

Siecienski said he planned to accept the job which will pay him $116,843 in the first year, and be sworn in Nov. 13. Siecienski makes an annual salary of $125,000 as Danbury's fire chief, a position from which he is retiring.

"I can't wait to get started," Siecienski said. "Nothing beats hard work, and complacency has no place in the fire service. As long as we keep that in mind we're going to do just fine."

Siecienski, an administrator in the Danbury department since 1986, said Greenwich and Danbury's fire departments' face many of the same challenges integrating both career and volunteer firefighters.

"What Greenwich seemed to be looking for really seemed to fit with some of the strengths that I have," Siecienski said. "An individual who had experience with budgets and able to complete projects and a knack with dealing with volunteer and career operations together."

One of Siecienski's first projects will be delegating administrative responsibilities among the deputy chiefs, posts created this year to provide command at fire scenes.

"He's very efficient and he will work on getting the deputy chiefs to work on specific tasks, whether it is in Hazmat, building maintenance, or communications," Fire Chief Sanford "Sandy" Anderson said. "I'm very glad he's coming aboard."

Siecienski will replace former Assistant Chief Mike Puterbaugh, who retired from his job at the end of August after 35 years as a Greenwich firefighter.

Siecenski started as a volunteer Danbury firefighter in 1973 and became a career firefighter in 1979.

He was appointed chief in Danbury in December 2001, a job which includes serving as the city's emergency management coordinator.

From 1995 to 2001 he served as deputy chief, completing the department's first ever Standard Operating Procedure Manual. He served as deputy fire marshal from 1986 to 1989 when he was promoted to training officer, a job he held until 1995.

Siecienski said he plans to remain a Danbury resident, but said he often rises early and puts in long hours.

"I have a tendency to and am known for putting in a lot of time," Siecienski said.

Siecienski said that leadership in a combination department is both complex and rewarding, requiring a commitment to work with the local union as well as volunteer firefighting companies while juggling budgets, equipment purchases, and other necessary tasks.

Each department seems to have its own culture, he said.

"Just when you think you've seen it all running a combination department you see something that you've never seen before," Siecienski said. "Everywhere the administration, unions and volunteer departments all have their personal touches. You have to understand what goes on behind closed doors."

Siecienski said he had met the department's four deputy chiefs and was looking forward to hearing their ideas for improving the department.

"I'm looking to come in to continue to develop the organization and take things to the next level," Siecienski said. "They already have excellent people in place and I look forward to coming down and try to develop these people so they can continue giving top notch service and excel and be creative."

First Selectman Jim Lash said that Siecienski was one of four finalists, all from Connecticut who were interviewed by the Board of Selectmen and Anderson for the job.

Siecienski's appointment is the first after the town did away with a requirement to use a competitive process to hire police and fire leadership.

"Throughout the selection process Chief Siecienski kept rising to the top," Lash said.