Rochester's Dupuis won't be Natick's next fire chief

Tuesday
Jan 9, 2018 at 10:06 AM Jan 9, 2018 at 10:06 AM

Kyle Stucker @KyleRStucker

NATICK — Selectmen in Natick, Mass., have opted to hire from within rather than choose Rochester Assistant Fire Chief Mark Dupuis as their new fire chief.

Dupuis, a 29-year veteran of the Rochester Fire Department, was the only external candidate among the three finalists for the Natick job. Natick deputy fire chiefs Daniel Dow and Michael Lentini were the other finalists, and Natick selectmen ultimately choose Lentini Monday night after a search process that spanned several months.

Selectmen praised Lentini’s leadership, qualifications and experience with the department while announcing the selection Monday, according to the MetroWest Daily News, a newspaper owned by the same parent company as Foster’s Daily Democrat.

“In that situation, it is my philosophy that the town should promote from within and recognize the quality of leadership we have in the department,” said Selectman Sue Salamoff, according to the MetroWest Daily News.

Natick selectmen also said Monday that any of the three men would have made a great chief, according to the MetroWest Daily News.

Lentini's selection is pending agreement on a contract.

Dupuis has told Foster’s he applied for the position in September, doing so because he said he feels there is no room for further advancement in Rochester. Dupuis was a finalist to replace retired Rochester Fire Chief Norm Sanborn after Sanborn retired in May, however City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick and a selection committee ultimately decided in July to hire longtime Bedford Fire Chief Mark Klose as Sanborn’s successor.

Rochester’s move not to promote Dupuis led several public figures and officials, including Sanborn, to speak out against the decision because Sanborn had been grooming Dupuis for several years.

Dupuis has previously praised Lentini and Dow, both longtime Natick firefighters, as highly experienced. He has also previously said that his interest in Natick has no impact on his performance and duties in Rochester.

“I’m still committed to this department for as long as I’m here,” Dupuis has said. “I haven’t stopped doing what I’ve always done.”

Dupuis will hit the 30-year mark with Rochester later this year. This year will also mark the 25th anniversary of Dupuis’s start as a full-time firefighter in the Lilac City, as his first five years were spent as an on-call firefighter.

Dupuis is also close to being certified as an executive fire officer, an accreditation that only 1 percent of American firefighters hold.

Tuesday
Jan 9, 2018 at 10:06 AM Jan 9, 2018 at 10:06 AM

Kyle Stucker @KyleRStucker

NATICK — Selectmen in Natick, Mass., have opted to hire from within rather than choose Rochester Assistant Fire Chief Mark Dupuis as their new fire chief.

Dupuis, a 29-year veteran of the Rochester Fire Department, was the only external candidate among the three finalists for the Natick job. Natick deputy fire chiefs Daniel Dow and Michael Lentini were the other finalists, and Natick selectmen ultimately choose Lentini Monday night after a search process that spanned several months.

Selectmen praised Lentini’s leadership, qualifications and experience with the department while announcing the selection Monday, according to the MetroWest Daily News, a newspaper owned by the same parent company as Foster’s Daily Democrat.

“In that situation, it is my philosophy that the town should promote from within and recognize the quality of leadership we have in the department,” said Selectman Sue Salamoff, according to the MetroWest Daily News.

Natick selectmen also said Monday that any of the three men would have made a great chief, according to the MetroWest Daily News.

Lentini's selection is pending agreement on a contract.

Dupuis has told Foster’s he applied for the position in September, doing so because he said he feels there is no room for further advancement in Rochester. Dupuis was a finalist to replace retired Rochester Fire Chief Norm Sanborn after Sanborn retired in May, however City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick and a selection committee ultimately decided in July to hire longtime Bedford Fire Chief Mark Klose as Sanborn’s successor.

Rochester’s move not to promote Dupuis led several public figures and officials, including Sanborn, to speak out against the decision because Sanborn had been grooming Dupuis for several years.

Dupuis has previously praised Lentini and Dow, both longtime Natick firefighters, as highly experienced. He has also previously said that his interest in Natick has no impact on his performance and duties in Rochester.

“I’m still committed to this department for as long as I’m here,” Dupuis has said. “I haven’t stopped doing what I’ve always done.”

Dupuis will hit the 30-year mark with Rochester later this year. This year will also mark the 25th anniversary of Dupuis’s start as a full-time firefighter in the Lilac City, as his first five years were spent as an on-call firefighter.

Dupuis is also close to being certified as an executive fire officer, an accreditation that only 1 percent of American firefighters hold.

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