New chief steps in amidst big changes

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

Thomas Kennelly, White-fish's new fire chief, has faced a blizzard of meetings, phone calls and e-mail messages since he took over the department two weeks ago.

And he had to wait to last Friday before he got his first clear view of Big Mountain.

"I'm excited to be here," he said. "The city staff are a fantastic group of people, and everyone really helped make the transition smooth."

Kennelly and his wife Mary moved here to Whitefish Conifer, Colo. Their three daughters are grown, with one a senior in college. He said he found out about the job here from a trade magazine, but he was already interested in moving to Montana.

"I like skiing, photography, fishing and hiking," he said.

The Whitefish Fire Depart-ment will see a lot of changes in the next two years as it hires six additional firefighters and transitions into 24-hour, 7-day-a-week emergency services coverage.

The department will also move into a new $7.8 million, 32,656-square-foot emergency services center in Baker Commons near The Wave by 2010.

Whitefish so far has not been approved for a federal SAFER grant that would help pay for the transition to 24/7 coverage. Whitefish voters, however, showed their support in August for the department when it approved by a 1,010-630 margin adding 24 mills to the current 111 mills to pay for the additional firefighters.

Kennelly, who holds a bachelor's in accounting and has been a certified public accountant since 1986, is familiar with SAFER grants. He said the community's show of support in the levy election means a lot to him, but he hasn't written off the grant.

"If we haven't yet received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security, we're still in the running," he said.

Kennelly is also looking at other measures, including working with the firefighters and their union representatives to see if 24/7 coverage can be provided with minimum staffing, but he expects to see the six additional firefighters on duty by the end of June 2009.

A new four-wheel-drive ambulance should arrive soon to replace an older vehicle, he said. The department is also awaiting word on a grant for a new four-wheel-drive wildland-firefighting vehicle that will provide quick response to structure fires in the urban-interface.

Kennelly is familiar with urban-interface wildfire hazards and the need for coordination with other agencies and proactive measures.

"We lost 84 structures in wildfires in the Conifer Fire District during the early 2000s," he said.

Kennelly said he's met with Whitefish's rural fire service area board and expects to build a strong partnership with them. The department operates a rural station equipped with an older engine, a big tender and an ambulance out on Whitefish Stage Road.

The department is always looking for volunteers, Kennelly said. He hopes to revive interest through groups like the Fire Explorer Posts, which are connected with Boy Scouts and are found across the U.S.

He also wants to see more social activities to attract more volunteers, but he readily acknowledges the more strenuous requirements facing volunteers today.

"You have to stay certified and keep your skill levels up," he said. "Lifestyles have changed, and it's hard for people to find the time to devote to training and the hours on the job."

Anyone with a serious interest in volunteering can call the fire department at 863-2480.