John Quatieri is the choice to serve as Chelsea’s new fire chief.
Quatieri, who currently serves as deputy chief and has served in the department for 32 years, will take over for current Fire Chief Leonard Albanese.
Earlier this year, Albanese announced his retirement after eight years in the department.
“Upon this announcement, we posted the position and created a hiring committee,” said City Manager Fidel Maltez. “The hiring committee was made up of a diverse body of members, all invested in the long term success of our Fire Department. The hiring committee interviewed all applicants and made a unanimous decision to proceed with John Quatieri as our next Fire Chief.”
Quatieri’s appointment will be effected on March 8, the date of Albanese’s retirement.
Maltez said during the process, one thing that was a priority was hiring someone with a deep knowledge of the city and the department, and with 32 years in the department, Quatieri fits the bill.
“Mr. Quatieri has been a deputy chief since 2006, and for the last eight years, has served as deputy chief of operations, responsible for the day-to-day (operations) of the fire department,” said Maltez. “Mr. Quatieri has the leadership skills and technical knowledge to lead Chelsea’s Fire Department. Most importantly, Mr. Quaitieri is intimately involved in our city, leading various community efforts.”
Maltez said he has asked Quatieri to set up meetings with each member of the city council over the next several months to continue the collaborative effort between the fire chief and the council.
“John knows Chelsea, he was born and raised in Chelsea, and has spent 32 years in the department,” said Maltez. “But more importantly, he has been running the show for the past eight years alongside Chief Albanese, and I see no one better prepared to lead the Chelsea Fire Department forward.”