Now that Chief Ken Scandariato has retired from the Norwich Fire Department, it will be up to the department’s battalion chiefs to lead the city’s firefighting efforts for the time being.
Scandariato stepped away Thursday, setting into motion a plan by City Manager John Salomone to have the fire department’s four battalion chiefs each serve as acting chief on a two-week rotating basis until a new chief is hired.
Salomone said the rotation is not based on seniority, but rather, it will go in order through the battalion chiefs based on their platoon numbers — meaning Tracy Montoya is currently acting chief. He will be followed by Keith Wucik, Gregory Despathy and Scott Merchant.
Montoya has been with the Norwich Fire Department for 27 years, and as the first of the battalion chiefs to take the department’s reins, he said he realizes he has big shoes to fill.
“It’s a very tough act to follow,” Montoya said. “But Chief Scand has been great at passing down information to myself and the other battalion chiefs to put us in the right direction.”