Commish signing off
Joe Finn rose through BFD’s ranks to lead department
Boston Fire Commissioner Joe Finn is retiring after more than five years atop the department he’s been a member of for more than three decades.
Finn tweeted Monday morning that he plans to retire March 12.
He wrote, “I’ll miss the great support we receive in the neighborhoods but know that the men & women who make up the BFD are the best; highly trained professionals who serve with distinction and compassion. Trucks & tools are nice but it’s Boots on the Ground that make our mission work. Having risen through the ranks, it’s been a rewarding career though challenging at times. Now it is time to be with my family more but continuing on a part time basis in the fire service as I weigh several opportunities. Stay Safe and Protected. Thank You All.”
Mayor Martin Walsh Walsh swore him in as head of the department in July 2014.
Walsh said in a statement, “I want to thank Joe Finn for his years of service in protecting the Boston community as a firefighter, and for his leadership as Commissioner. Under his stewardship, the Boston Fire Department has put a renewed focus on health and wellness to reduce the cancer rate among its members and has ushered in a new era at the fire department with historic investments in firehouses, apparatus, training and equipment.
“His steadfast commitment to the men and women of the fire department never wavered, and for that, the City of Boston is grateful. I look forward to naming Boston’s next fire commissioner in the coming days,” Walsh said.
Finn joined Boston Fire in 1984 after serving in the Marines, and rose steadily through the ranks. His profile on Boston’s website touts his contributions in integrating Emergency Medical Services into the fire department and developing a new state firefighter test. His focus on medical services extended to establishing a program that increased the number of Emergency Medical Technicians in the BFD by 50% and assisting in the development of state regulations for defibrillators.
The fire department has taken some heat lately, particularly for its lack of diversity. The department is just 1% of the department is female — and the women who do work there have complained of a culture of “male banter” and “locker room talk,” according to a report that came out a year ago. The report did credit
Finn specifically with implementing anti-harassment training and improving the quarters for women, and the chief has backed the creation of a cadet program aimed at bringing in more diverse recruits.
The next fire commissioner also will have to deal with ongoing litigation from the powerful firefighters’ union, which is suit the administration, claiming in that their members on injured leave are being transferred to other forms of leave or given “light duty” in violation of their collective bargaining agreement.