New Assistant Fire Chief Appointed In New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, CT — The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Albert Bassett, a veteran of the the Norwalk Fire Department, as assistant fire chief for New Canaan.

Jack Horner, chairman of the town fire commission, said during a Board of Selectman meeting Bassett's hiring was unanimously approved by the commission last week.

First Selectman Kevin Moynihan noted he sat in on the interviews for the position, during which Bassett stood out among the crowd.

"[Bassett] is a terrific hire for us," Moynihan said during the meeting, "and I think everyone will like working with him."

Before the vote, Selectman Nick Williams asked Horner to explain the hiring process, which involved the combined efforts of the New Canaan Fire Department and the town's human resources department.

"We had established a process which we used previously in promoting officers," Horner said, "and it has worked effectively, not only for the New Canaan Fire Department but...around the region, especially in the state of Connecticut."

According to Horner, a consultant graded the 14 people who initially applied for the job and selected seven applicants from that pool for interviews.

"So there were seven people who actually made the initial grade if you will," Horner said, "that actually met most of the qualifications to be interviewed."

Prior to the interviews, one of the applicants backed out after receiving a job elsewhere, Horner said. The remaining six applicants were interviewed by a "chief's panel," and three were recommended to the commission.

The commission, along with Moynihan, then interviewed the final three applicants and decided unanimously that Bassett was the best candidate, Horner said.

Selectman Kathleen Corbet noted Bassett sounded more than qualified for the position.

"First of all, his resume just speaks volumes in terms of his qualifications," Corbet said. "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

She also noted Bassett is the co-chairperson of the Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team and chair of the DEMHS Regional Emergency Planning Team, as well as an instructor at the State of Connecticut Fire Academy, and asked if he will continue in those roles if hired. Horner said he would as long as those roles do not interfere with his responsibilities in New Canaan.

"We generally have to approve any outside interests of any of our members, and especially officers," Horner said, "so we'll go through that process."

Corbet noted those roles seemed more like an added benefit.

"He's a great candidate," Williams said. "Actually, one of the finalists who didn't make it called me up and said 'you've got a great guy, this is a terrific hire.'"

Bassett has worked for the Norwalk Fire Department since 1992, most recently as an assistant fire chief. He has also held the positions of deputy fire chief, shift commander and training division, according to a news release.

Bassett brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position, as he holds numerous state Commission on Fire Prevention and Control certifications, along with being an emergency medical technician and instructor.

"We look forward to working with Albe, especially given the extensive skill sets he brings to our department," Horner said in a news release. "He has tremendous experience in many facets of fire safety, personnel management and fire fighter training. Albe will be a tremendous asset to New Canaan."