Varley Named Fire Chief

BREWSTER – Fire Chief Robert Moran will retire on Oct. 12, after serving in that role since 2010. He’s temporarily on medical leave while Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Varley serves as the acting chief, and on Monday the Select Board voted 4-0 to make Varley the permanent Fire Chief.

“Following the town charter, the Select Board acts on my recommendation,” Town Manager Peter Lombardi explained. “Kevin Varley has served as the full-time deputy since that position was created (in 2016) and worked under Chief Moran’s tutelage the past eight years. He’s smart, thoughtful, diligent, hardworking and he cares about the department. I recommend Kevin as the new Chief.”

Varley started studying to be an EMT in1996 while attending Cape Cod Community College and working as an on-call paramedic/firefighter for the Wellfleet Fire Department. He stayed with Wellfleet until he obtained a degree in criminal justice, and then began working for the Brewster Fire Department in 2002 as a paramedic and firefighter. He held that position until 2011 when he was promoted to captain, and became the department’s first deputy chief in 2016. Varley has a bachelor’s degree in fire science and a Masters in Public Administration from Ava Maria College in Paxton, Mass. He completed chief fire officer training at the Massachusetts Fire Academy in 2016.

Varley said Chief Moran empowered him in every aspect of managing the Fire Department in Brewster as part of the succession plan.

“This experience provided me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally,” Varley said. “The next fire chief has incredibly large shoes to fill. Chief Moran is leaving behind two documents to serve as a roadmap: the five-year strategic plan and the fire department staffing study that identified the need for additional staff and the framework by which it can be completed. The tools are in place for the next fire chief to pick up where Chief Moran left off.”

Varley promised that if he was selected he’d utilize his training and experience in guiding the department.

“I thank Chief Moran for his wisdom and guidance through the years,” Varley said. “I’m honored and humbled to be here tonight. I look forward to applying my experience and education and the tools Chief Moran left behind to benefit the Brewster Fire Department.”

“Congratulations. We are incredibly lucky to have you on board,” select board member Cindy Bingham told Varley before the vote.

“We are so fortunate to benefit from the amazing leadership of Chief Moran for a number of years and then have someone willing and able and very well prepared to step into the role of fire chief,” board member Mary Chaffee agreed.

Chair Dave Whitney noted it is incredible that a tiny town has such qualified people in all positions.

The Board approved the hiring by a 4-0 vote with Ned Chatelaine absent. Varley’s contract will run through June of 2027 with an initial base salary of $176,000 plus a $4,000 stipend for serving as emergency manager - a position Moran also held.