LEOMINSTER — Craig Long was officially sworn in as the new fire chief during the annual fire department awards ceremony on March 10.
This comes on the heels of 45-year Leominster Fire Department veteran Robert Sideleau II retiring after over 15 years as fire chief.
Long, who was sworn in by City Clerk Elizabeth Doiron, also has a lengthy history with the fire department — he has been with it since June 1987.
“I was overwhelmed with how many people showed up to the ceremony and especially grateful for my family being there,” the lifelong city resident said about the support he received for his monumental career milestone.
Long attended schools in Leominster and went to Fitchburg State University for three years. He formerly served as the 7th district vice president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, an elected position he gave up to in order to take the fire chief job, and is well respected in the local community and recognized for his service.
Long is married with two sons. In his spare time when he is “not listening to the calls being dispatched,” he enjoys playing golf and “being outdoors as much as possible in the warm weather.”
He reported that Mayor Dean Mazzarella made the decision to appoint him as the next fire chief at the end of December.
“I was certainly happy to hear that but at the same time I had been working daily with the former chief and knew what challenges lay ahead,” Long said, adding that he is “excited to lead the department going forward” — which includes 94 employees -— as well as “making sure all of our residents are kept safe.”
“The position certainly comes with a lot of responsibility,” he acknowledged. “We have an outstanding fire department, and all our firefighters and paramedics take their responsibilities very seriously and put a tremendous amount of effort in dealing with every emergency with the utmost care and empathy.”
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