MIDDLEBORO — Middleboro has selected a new fire chief.

Owen Thompson, an Osterville resident who has served as a fire captain in Brookline for 20 years, was chosen unanimously from a field of three finalists by the select board at their Aug. 8 meeting.

Pending successful contract negotiations, he will replace Fire Chief Lance Benjamino, who has announced his retirement. 

Thompson answered all the board’s questions fully, select board member Neil Rosenthal said, and displayed impressive professionalism. “He will be a great fire chief for the Town of Middleboro for a long time to come.’’

In an interview with the board, Thompson, 46, spoke of his “democratic’’ leadership style.

He said he does not agree that all decisions must be made by the chief. Whether a potential solution comes from the chief, town officials or an entry-level firefighter, if the idea makes sense for the situation, he will implement it, Thompson said.

“I tend to put people in positions where they’re going to succeed,’’ he said. He said he believes that a chief should “treat firefighters the way they want to be treated and give them the resources they need’’ to succeed.

Although the public more often deals with rank and file department members, the chief serves as “the face of the department,’’ he said. 

As a result, he told the board, his door will be open to any member of the public to share their concerns and ask questions. The chief should be “not just listening to them but understanding their problem,’’ he said.

Thompson also stressed the importance of communication and wants his team members to know they can reach out to him. “They need to know they can talk to us,’’ he said. 

“Communication is a big thing,’’ he said.

So, he said, is making sure that staff members have the training to do the job. Because of the nature of fire calls, he told the board, there will be times when outcomes are not what firefighters might hope for.

But that should never be because the team member did not have the tools to do the best possible job, Thompson said. He told the select board that he will work to make sure they have the needed resources and training, “so they don’t go home feeling like I’ve let them down.’’

The new chief said he is looking forward to moving to Middleboro. His wife and two daughters enjoy gardening, he said, and they look forward to having property that allows them to enjoy that outdoor lifestyle.

Thompson was selected over two other finalists: Middleboro Fire Capt. David Taylor and Avon Fire Chief Robert Spurr.

All three did well, the select board members said. “We had three quality candidates,’’ Neil Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal also noted that he was pleased to see hometown candidate Taylor make it to the finals. Rosenthal described Taylor as a “world-class fire officer.’’