Town Manager taps Whitney as interim fire chief

Assistant Fire Chief Brian Whitney will helm the Acton Fire Department — at least for the time being — following the retirement of Chief Thomas Judge, officials announced Monday. 

Town Manager Kerry Lafleur made the interim appointment and said Whitney’s “extensive experience and commitment to our community” will be invaluable while the town works toward a permanent replacement. 

In a statement, Whitney said he’s honored to serve as interim chief and “committed to ensuring our firefighters have the support they need to continue providing excellent service.” 

Judge has led the CFD since 2017 and will conclude his tenure on Thursday. Whitney will start the interim gig on Friday and fill that post for up to 90 days or until a permanent appointment is made. 

Whitney came to Acton as a firefighter in 1991 and has climbed the ranks. Beyond Acton, Whitney has spent more than 30 years as an instructor at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, including 25 years as an assistant coordinator. 

Whitney’s appointment as an assistant fire chief in 2023 marked the first time the town had two assistant chiefs, according to an announcement at the time.

Walter Latta still serves as assistant chief alongside Whitney. Lafleur said when she announced Judge’s retirement that she expects his replacement will come from within the department. 

“The bench here is deep,” Judge said in an interview last week. “There are people here who are very capable of taking over as fire chief.”

Judge served as interim chief for several months before he secured the job. Acton’s 2017 annual town report said the hiring process was “very competitive.” 

“I was fortunate to come out on top,” Judge said. 

As he reflected on his career, Judge recalled a moment from his days as a lieutenant with Whitney riding on his engine. The pair responded to a late-night fire in West Acton. No one was home, and Judge was preparing to swing an ax to open the front door. 

“Before I did that, Brian kind of just put his hand up, and he reached out and he turned the knob,” Judge said. 

Decades later, he said, “that one just always cracks me up.” 

Judge flagged facilities as a major challenge for his successor as Acton weighs what to do with its aging police and fire stations. 

Though Judge is leaving the chief’s office, Lafleur told The Acton Bridge that she was “in discussion” with him as of July 29 about retaining him in a limited capacity to help transfer and upload employee “time and attendance” records into the town’s newly implemented MUNIS payroll system. 

“It’s not uncommon for the Town to retain certain retirees on a limited basis for some period of time,” Lafleur said via email.

If this arrangement proceeds, Lafleur said, Judge would count as a part-time employee without benefits. He would have no set schedule and provide service “only as needed.”

Officials have not publicly discussed the timeline or process for choosing a permanent fire chief.

“I look forward to working with everyone to maintain our high standards during this transition,” Whitney said.