Finalists for Salem Fire Chief Announced

Mayor Kim Driscoll today announced that, as a result of an assessment center conducted in late June, there are two finalists for the position of Salem’s next Fire Chief: Deputy Chief Alan Dionne and Deputy Chief John “Gerry” Giunta.

Both finalists also participated in a community stakeholder interview with a committee comprised of a representative of the Salem Firefighters’ union, a representative from Salem’s neighborhood associations, the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rinus Oosthoek, City Councillor Josh Turiel, Beth Rennard the City Solicitor, Human Resources Director Lisa Cammarata, and Mayor Driscoll’s Chief of Staff Dominick Pangallo, as well as two outside experts – former Chelsea Fire Chief Chuck Fothergill, who is currently the Communications Director for Atlantic Ambulance, and Michael Main, Northeast Regional Manager for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The two finalists will next meet with Mayor Driscoll, who makes the final appointment.

About Deputy Chief Dionne

Deputy Chief Dionne joined the Salem Fire Department as a firefighter in 1993. He served as Lieutenant from 2000 to 2004, Captain from 2004 to 2016, and has been a Deputy Chief since 2016. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from North Shore Community College and is attending Salem State University for a degree in Fire Science Administration. He is a licensed EMT and is certified in Hazardous Materials response and spill operations. Deputy Chief Dionne is administrator for the Fire Department Dispatch and serves as the Department’s Public Information Officer.

About Deputy Chief Giunta

Deputy Chief Giunta joined the Salem Fire Department as a firefighter in 1983. He served as Lieutenant from 1986 to 1993, Captain from 1993 to 2007, and has been a Deputy Chief since 2007. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from North Shore Community College. Deputy Chief Giunta is a member of FEMA’s Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and has served as the Task Force leader since 2006. He is a licensed EMT and Hazardous Materials Technician. Since March 2018 Deputy Chief Giunta has served as the Department’s Acting Chief.