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Pittsfield Firefighters Make Rare Endorsement Of Tyer

A man and a woman stand under a canopy in front of a wall of supporters carrying Tyer signs in front of a fire station
Josh Landes
/
WAMC
Robert Leary and Mayor Linda Tyer

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.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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