By Chris Paul
During the Monday night, Sept. 11, Town Council meeting, Town Manager, Mike Malaguti, recommended to the board that Bo Butler be named as the town’s new Fire Chief.
Butler grew up in Londonderry and has been a member of the force since 2002. He is the son-in-law of retiring chief, Darren O’Brien, as well as the son of Town Councilor, Jim Butler.
During Malaguti’s recommendation, Councilor, Jim Butler, stepped away from his seat on the board.
Malaguti informed the board that after serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, one year after 9-11, and serving for eight years in the military, Bo became a call firefighter in 2002. In 2005, he became a fire fighter, holding a number of ranks during his tenure. He was named as Lieutenant, Battalion Chief, and Deputy Fire Chief during his service to the Londonderry Fire Department.
Malaguti said he was nominating Bo for his leadership skills, saying, “He motivates, inspires, and embraces a culture of transparency and accountability even for himself. The men and women he leads trust him, so do I.”
Malaguti added, “In my tenure as Town Manager, I have had the privilege to nominate five department heads, who now lead almost half of the town’s departments.” He added that Bo deserves a place as part of that group of the town’s most trusted employees.
After Malaguti’s recommendation, Bo took a moment to thank the other candidate for Chief, Fred Heinrich, for being a “true professional” and said Heinrich has set an example for him on what it means to be a leader.
Butler promised that with the new position, he would always give department personnel the support they need to help save lives and protect property in the town.
He said, “I will always put my people first because without them, they cannot pride the level of service that this town provides for all of us.”
Butler also told those listening, “The town of Londonderry has given me everything. It has given me my childhood, growing up I didn’t have a lot, but my family has always had catholic love for one another.” He also said that despite being offered full-ride scholarships to play lacrosse at West Point, Loyola Marymount, and UMass Amherst he chose to serve his country.
He finished by saying that he promises to provide the best service possible to the community.
The council voted 4-0 to confirm the appointment of Butler as the new Fire Chief.