Leadership

Interim MA Fire Chief Heads FD on Permanent Basis

Feb. 8, 2020

P. Kenneth Clark was hired as Berlin's new fire/EMS chief after serving in that role in an interim capacity since Aug. 6 as the town went through an extensive search process.

By Jan Gottesman

Source Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass.

Berlin, MA, Fire/EMS Chief P. Kenneth Clark.

BERLIN, MA—The town has a new fire chief, but it did not have to look far for the person.

On Monday, Feb. 3, selectmen signed an employment agreement with P. Kenneth Clark to serve as Berlin's new permanent fire/EMS chief.

Clark has served as the town's interim fire/EMS chief since Aug. 6 and throughout an extensive search process. During that process, selectmen initially offered the position to another candidate, however negotiations failed to result in a signed contract. Town Administrator Margaret Nartowicz said the board voted to rescind its employment offer to the prior candidate.

Clark was the other public finalist and successful negotiations resulted in the signed contract.

"We are extremely grateful that he has agreed to continue on in service to our town as fire and EMS chief," Nartowicz said.

According to Berlin's Facebook post, Clark was lured back into service by Berlin after retiring as Hopkinton fire chief in 2016 after 43 years of service on his hometown fire department.

According to Clark's resume, he became a probationary call firefighter in 1973 and a call firefighter in 1976, the same year he became a certified emergency medical technician. He got his first career firefighter job in 1978, serving in that position until 1989. He became an operating lieutenant in 1998, then deputy chief from June 2007 to January 2009. He served as acting fire chief from Jan. 20, 2009 to May 12, 2009, before becoming fire chief, holding that position until Jan. 1, 2016, when he retired.

He also served as Upton's interim fire chief from September to December 2016.

Clark is a time-tested veteran with decades' worth of experience commanding fire scenes, highway responses (having logged many miles responding to incidents on both Route 495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike), and being involved in complex planning for many Boston Marathons, where thousands step-off annually on East Main Street in Hopkinton.

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