In an unusual move, Pittsfield, Massachusetts Mayor Linda Tyer has secured endorsement of the city’s firefighters.
Robert Leary, union president of local 2647 of the International Association of Firefighters, made the announcement Monday afternoon at fire department headquarters on Columbus Avenue.
“Her efforts and honest approach to advancing the opportunities and services in the city of Pittsfield are commendable," said Leary. "We can attest to her administration’s openness to listening to our concerns, considering our observation of the community’s needs, as well as the needs within the department and public safety.”
The decision was made by a vote last week by the 91-member union. The last mayoral candidate it endorsed was Gerry Doyle, who left office in 2002. Tyer, facing city councilor Melissa Mazzeo in her bid for a second term, is the first mayor in over 20 years to appoint a permanent fire chief in Pittsfield.