FREEPORT, Maine — After serving the town of Freeport for more than four decades each, the longtime chiefs of Freeport’s police and fire departments have announced they will retire this spring.
Freeport Police Chief Gerald Schofield will retire March 26, according to a municipal bulletin issued Tuesday. Fire Chief Darrel Fournier will retire May 6.
Schofield joined the Freeport Police Department in July 1976 and has served as chief since 1988.
Fournier joined the Freeport Fire Department in 1970 and became the town’s first full-time career fire chief in 1983, according to the bulletin. From 1990 to 1999, he served as Waterville fire chief, and he returned in 2000 to become Freeport’s fire chief and director of emergency management.
Freeport police Lt. Susan Nourse will serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is named, The Forecaster reported.
Town Manager Peter Joseph said Wednesday that he hopes to finalize dates and procedures for recruiting a new police chief by next week. Town officials will begin working on the fire chief recruitment process the following week.
Joseph plans to conduct an external search for both positions, but he expects internal candidates to apply.
The town charter and administrative code charges the town manager with nominating candidates for both positions. The Town Council will then consider approving a nomination before a candidate is appointed to the position, according to Joseph.
Arlene Arris also was appointed director of the Freeport Community Library, replacing longtime director Beth Edmonds.
According to The Forecaster, Arris was selected after an internal search and interview by a panel of town employees.