Fire chief officially resigns effective June 30

MIDDLEBORO — The town parted ways with Fire Chief Owen Thompson, who has been on administrative leave since late March, in a move unanimously approved by the Select Board during its meeting on Monday, June 8.

Thompson will resign from his position effective Tuesday, June 30.  He was hired as chief in September 2022.

Prior to coming to Middleboro, he worked for 20 years in the Brookline Fire Department. He rose through the ranks to captain before being hired as chief in Middleboro.

The reason for the chief's departure remains unclear. Select Board members offered no explanation for the town's separation from Thompson other than a heavily redacted separation agreement posted to the town's website Monday. 

The document included a letter written to the Select Board and signed by Thompson saying that he was "irrevocably resigning" from his position as fire chief.

"That is all we can share at this time," Select Board Chair Teresa Farley said. 

The final decision follows an executive session during which the board discussed Thompson's role as Fire Chief. It is not clear what the board's discussion entailed. Interim Town Manager Joe Perkins previously described the situation as a "personnel matter."

Monday's vote included little discussion from the Select Board.

"All this is is a public vote so that the public can see we have not taken that vote in private," Farley said.

After Thompson went on leave earlier this year, officials tapped retired Middleboro Fire Capt. Dana Fontaine to be the town's interim fire chief.

"When I got the call, I was humbled and honored to come back," Fontaine said at Monday night's meeting.

The Select Board unanimously approved a contract with the interim chief to continue in that role. It is not clear if the town is currently searching for a permanent fire chief.