Sandisfield Select Board Interviews Acting Chief Andrews for Permanent Fire Post

SANDISFIELD — June 16, 2025 — Sandisfield Select Board interviews acting Fire Chief Dan Andrews for the permanent position, with a decision possible the same day. Andrews, a decades-long firefighting veteran who stepped into the interim role after his predecessor resigned, told the board the department's most pressing needs are a replacement tanker truck — the existing unit was pulled from service after a third-party inspection found near-total brake failure — and new turnout gear he said is up to 20 years old and contaminated with PFAS. A board member noted the department logged 161 EMS calls against only 58 fire calls last year, raising questions about whether Andrews, who is not currently a certified EMT, plans to obtain that credential; he called it under consideration but not certain. The most combustible stretch of the interview centered on Sandisfield Fire Department Inc., the department's 501(c)(3) support organization, which board members said has sent no response to multiple letters and has never presented its finances to the Select Board — a charge Andrews did not dispute but said he hoped his relationships on both sides could begin to repair.