Marblehead fire chief honored; firefighters hired, promoted

MARBLEHEAD – Fire Chief Barry Dixey didn’t just save a job for a firefighter who was called up for duty in Iraq.He made sure that Firefighter Matt Tina, a 1st lieutenant in the National Guard, maintained his seniority in the department for the year that Tina has to be away.Tina didn’t forget that and neither did the Pentagon.Wednesday evening the chief was surprised to receive an Above and Beyond Award from the Pentagon at an Abbot Hall swearing-in ceremony for five new and promoted firefighters.”The chief was very, very accommodating in this,” said Marblehead resident George Charos, who presented Dixey with the award. “The department kicked in to cover shifts and the secretary kept track of the man hours and other details so that Tina didn’t lose anything.”It’s nice to see. The chief made that happen. He doesn’t have to do that, he’s the fire chief.”Charos is president of Republic Telcom, a company that manufactures telephone equipment, and for the past 25 years he has worked with a group of unpaid volunteers known as ESGR – Employer Support of the Guard in Reserve – that assists the Pentagon by making sure that when working Guardsman come back from deployment their job is waiting for them.Many times that requires him to talk tough with corporate executives. Wednesday was one of the exceptions, a nice occasion. Standing under Marblehead’s painting of the Spirit of ’76, Charos called the setting appropriate for the chief’s award.Moments earlier, Town Clerk Robin Michaud swore in two new firefighters, a new lieutenant, a new chaplain and the department’s first woman captain. New Firefighter Grant Glavin is scheduled to begin training in the Massachusetts Fire Academy a week from Monday; new Firefighter Eric Ridge, who has served in the Coast Guard, completed MFA training in December; new Lt. Charles Cerruti, a firefighter for nearly 13 years, has also served as Town Emergency Management Director; the Rev. Dennis Calhoun, senior minister at Old North Church, has served as chaplain since January.Town officials downplayed the swearing-in of Capt. Elizabeth Wilson, who became the Marblehead department’s first woman senior officer. She has been a firefighter for nearly 19 years and was promoted to lieutenant three years ago. She made headlines recently leading the night-time water rescue of three men after their canoe overturned, leaving them in the water without life jackets.”She’s respected by her peers and colleagues,” said Selectman William Woodfin.”There are guys in that department who would follow her into a house fire,” said Selectman Harry Christensen.