Dalton Fire Department in Search of Interim, Permanent Chief

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The leadership of the Fire Department is up in the air after the firing of one chief, the retirement of another and the pending departure of a third. 
 
All within a month. 
 
Board of Water Commissioners Chair James Driscoll said interim Chief Chris Cachat decided to step down last week following grumblings from firefighters questioning his effectiveness in the position.
 
For his part, Cachat said he was retiring at the age of 66. At this age he'll be past the age limit for a firefighter. 
 
These conversations came after an unannounced executive session Monday night that Driscoll described as being "accidentally" called. A number of firefighters attended the closed meeting.
 
Driscoll said the commission offered Cachat the position on Monday of last week but that he decided to not accept the district's offer after reviewing it for 24 hours. Cachat, as assistant chief, had stepped into the post in mid-May after James Peltier was placed on administrative leave and then fired.
 
Cachat said he turned down the post because it would require him to work into his 70s. 
 
"I've been in there for 40 years and I'm going to be 66 at the end of this month. And it's just time to step back and let the next generation come in," he said. 
 
He also pointed out that state law requires firefighters to retire at age 65 unless they have a waiver. 
 
Cachat is leaving the department but will remain in his current position at Mirabito Energy Products. 
 
Corey Wilcox, a captain in the department, had collaborated with Cachat. He took over day-to-day operations while Cachat handled overall chief duties, Driscoll said. 
 
Now Wilcox will be acting chief until another candidate can be found but is leaving soon to join the Pittsfield Fire Department. 
 
"We're in the process of looking for an interim chief to run the department until we can start a new search committee, collect resumes, start the process of interviews, and hiring a full time chief," Driscoll said. "Hopefully we'll be able to get something going this week."
 
It is unclear how long the search will take but the commission has a list of qualified candidates recommended by county fire departments.
 
Driscoll said firefighters asked if they could have representation on the review committee. The commission said it would consider that. 
 
iBerkshires received an email with allegations of misconduct in the department purportedly sent with the consent of a number of firefighters. It described "unprofessional" and at times unsafe behavior and a lack of leadership following Peltier's tenure as chief. 
 
Driscoll confirmed at least one alleged incident -- that firefighters were shooting "firecrackers" at each other in the bathroom. He said a group of individuals were disciplined but not what that entailed. Cachat said he'd heard rumors about the incident.
 
Driscoll said he is unaware of the other accusations but will be looking into them. 

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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