ROCKPORT — After a lengthy process, many interviews and yet another whole new call for applications when the first round failed to satisfy the search committee, Rockport has hired a new fire chief, who will step into the role May 20.

The town has been looking for a new fire chief since late last year, when current and longtime Fire Chief Bruce Woodward announced his pending retirement. Applications for the job flew in from all over the country, even from Alaska.

Rockport Interim Town Manager Roger Moody said Tuesday that he officially hired Jason Peasley, of Lincolnville, to fill Woodward's boots.

Peasley, who is currently Lincolnville's fire chief, was hired with a salary of $58,000.

"I'll be working with a great bunch of guys," said Peasley May 7. "This is a fun new opportunity with challenges to conquer. I am going from a town with 15 to 20 businesses to a town with more than 200 businesses.

Rockport has 6,000 parcels of property, including 3,600 timeshares, a hospital and landfill/transfer station, according to the job description. Applicants were to have considerable administrative and incident management experience, including that as a fire service officer.

Peasley said the first order of business for him will be to meet the Rockport firefighters, understand what they do and meet their families.

He will then go out to meet the community, business owners and citizens.

"I'm not planning on making any changes," he said. "Nothing's broken. I am not going in to fix anything."

Related stories:

Rockport fire chief position is a hot one

Breakfast, parade and party send retiring Rockport Chief Bruce Woodward

Lincolnville's new fire truck rolls into town

Woodward, who has been chief for the past 42 years in a town that has utmost respect for him, said he will continue to assist the fire department in whatever capacity that makes sense. Woodward officially retired March 29, but has since stayed on as chief while the town continued to seek his replacement.

"I will do everything I can to make the transition to his leadership as smooth as possible," Woodward said. "Welcome aboard, Jason."

Peasley, 39, grew up in Camden and graduated with the Camden-Rockport Class of 1993. He then served three years in the U.S. Army at Fort Drum, N.Y.

His father, Marvin Peasley, was a 26-year member of the Camden Fire Department.

"I grew up playing in the Camden Fire Department," said Peasley.

He starting volunteering on Camden's department when he was 16. When he moved to Lincolnville he joined that department, where he has served for 11 years, the last three as chief.

Peasley has also spent the past 14.5 years working at Bank of America in Belfast.

Three Rockport firefighters — Bill Lane, John Wickenden and Charlie Pearson — serving on the search committee along with Moody, and in consultation with Rockland Fire Chief Charles Jordan and Rockland Assistant Chief Adam Miceli, sifted through more than 130 applications in two rounds of reviews. The first round produced two final candidates for the job, but one withdrew and the other could not come to financial terms with the town.

Lane said the final selection of Peasley was based on his knowledge of the area and of firefighting.

"His strengths are in knowing about the community, the people he is serving and of firefighting," said Lane.

———————————————————————————

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.