Five Internal Fire Chief Candidates to be Interviewed

Candidates to replace retiring Braintree Fire Chief Kevin Murphy took part in a written exercise at Thayer Public Library last Friday and will be interviewed next week.

All five candidates are members of the Braintree Fire Department, Mayor Joseph Sullivan said, and he is not currently considering any external candidates.

The mayor announced Murphy's upcoming retirement in November. He will retire on Jan. 13 after three decades of service in the department, the last three as chief.

"We thank him for his service and his steadfast commitment to the safety of the citizens of Braintree," Sullivan said in a statement at the time. "We wish him a happy retirement after a job well done."

Murphy has not responded to an interview request.

The written exercise was not a pass/fail test, Sullivan said, but rather a way to assess how the candidates think. There were questions on collective bargaining, equipment problems and other issues that may arise for a chief. It is similar to a questionnaire given to the police chief candidates last year.

If a replacement for Murphy is not found by Jan. 13, Sullivan said he will name an interim chief.

"We've been deliberate in our selection process," he said.

Look on Braintree Patch over the next few days for more year-end/new year information from Mayor Sullivan.