Retiring NY Chief to Run Neighboring Department

WATERVLIET – Troy Fire Chief Thomas O. Garrett will retire this week, then cross the Hudson River to become the part-time chief of the Watervliet Fire Department.

“It will be good to have an experienced chief come in,” Mayor Michael Manning said Tuesday.

Watervliet Fire Chief Robert Conlen recently retired from command of the 24 officers and firefighters in Watervliet creating the vacancy for chief.

Manning said Garrett’s more than 20 years of experience leading Troy will be invaluable for Watervliet as the city looks to groom a successor to promote from within the department. Troy’s 2019 budget for the fire department calls for 120 firefighters and officers.

Garrett is expected to start at the end of January.  The soon to be former Troy fire chief will work part-time as a decision is made how to proceed with the department, Manning said.  Garrett's salary will be prorated based on his hours worked. Conlen earned $103,465 in 2018, according to the website Seethrough.net, which tracks the salaries of municipal employees.

Garrett could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon about his next job in Watervliet.  Garrett steps down Thursday as Troy’s fire chief.  He became chief of the Troy Fire Department in 1996.

Garrett leaves Troy 20 days before he would no longer have been covered by the new contract between the city and the Uniform Fire Chiefs Association. The new contract language places the fire chief is the same position as the police chief in having to negotiate an individual contract with the city.

Garrett will have some familiarity with Watervliet Fire Department operations. Although the Watervliet department is about one-fifth the size of the Troy department, both agencies support each other through mutual aid.  That’s when neighboring fire departments provide support in responding to fire calls.

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