At a ceremony held in front of the Edgartown Fire Museum on Friday afternoon, town clerk Karen Medeiros swore in Josh Baker as the department’s new assistant fire chief.
Baker, who had been a lieutenant, replaced former Assistant Fire Chief Geoff Freeman. Freeman told The Times he stepped down from the chief’s position due to time constraints his job as Martha’s Vineyard Airport director placed on him.
Fire Chief Alex Schaeffer echoed this in an address to those who gathered to watch not just Baker, but several other fire officers advance. Chief Schaeffer said he was told by Freeman that work left him unable to perform his chief’s functions to the standards he deemed satisfactory. Chief Schaeffer also said Freeman, in bowing out of the role, wanted to allow for the advancement of others.
Also sworn in Friday were Tom Ignacio, promoted from a firefighter/EMT to a lieutenant, Kara Shemeth, promoted from a lieutenant to a captain, Brian Foster, promoted from a firefighter/paramedic to a lieutenant, and Jovany Navarette, promoted from a firefighter/EMT to a lieutenant.
Chief Schaffer told those gathered the advancements were the fruit of “dedication, personal development, and sacrifice.”