SALEM — Mayor Kimberley Driscoll has appointed acting Fire Chief Alan Dionne to serve as the department’s next chief.
Dionne joined the department in 1993 as a firefighter before being promoted to lieutenant in 2000 and then captain in 2004.
He has served as deputy chief since 2016 and was made acting chief at the beginning of 2021 after the retirement of Chief Gerry Giunta.
Dionne graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy in 1993 and has been a licensed EMT for the last 25 years.
“I am so pleased to be able to appoint Al to this important position,” said Driscoll. “He has been a steadfast and conscious member of the department for nearly three decades, serving our community selflessly and with dedication for all those years. I am certain he will continue to be a strong leader for the Salem Fire Department into the future, and I am so grateful that he is willing to serve in this vital role.”
In addition to fire services, Dionne has extensive training and background in emergency management, hazardous materials operations and labor management.
Dionne said that, when he first joined the Salem Fire Department in 1993, he had no idea what it meant to be a firefighter.
“Soon after, I learned that I was part of something very special. It’s humbling to think 28 years later I now have the opportunity to serve as chief of the department that has meant so much to me in a city I love,” Dionne said. “My firefighter colleagues are truly the finest people to work with; I extend to them, my fellow city coworkers and city officials my sincerest gratitude for their support. I will do my best to serve my department and my community. I am grateful for the opportunity to do so.”
Dionne will be formally sworn in to his new position at a public ceremony in which the date and time are forthcoming.
