Kruger Named Acting Deputy Fire Chief for New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD — District Chief Scott Kruger has been appointed acting Deputy Fire Chief for the City of New Bedford.  A selection committee comprised of current acting Chief Paul N. Coderre, Jr., Fairhaven Fire Chief Timothy Francis, and Personnel Department staff recommended Kruger for the position following a competitive selection process.

Kruger takes over the Deputy position from Coderre, who himself served as Deputy Chief from 2011 until December 2018 when Coderre was appointed acting Fire Chief upon the announced retirement of Chief Michael Gomes.

District Chief Kruger has served the City since 1991 beginning as an EMT with New Bedford EMS in 1991, and joining the New Bedford Fire Department in 1993, serving as a firefighter from 1993-2001, as a Lieutenant from 2001-2006, as Captain from 2006-2010, and as a District Chief since 2010.

“Scott Kruger is a veteran New Bedford firefighter with a long record of distinguished leadership in the Department,” said Chief Coderre. “He is respected across the Department and will bring his commitment to public safety and serving city residents to his new role as acting Deputy Chief.”

Among other accomplishments, Kruger was recently recognized for his role in ensuring that emergency response vehicles in New Bedford are stocked with EpiPens, as well as with the drug hydroxocobalamin, known as a “cyano-kit,” which aids in the treatment of severe smoke inhalation.

Permanent appointments to the positions of Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief are subject to Massachusetts Civil Service procedures that require eligible candidates to take promotional exams, and the Mayor to select from among the top-scoring applicants. The exam for Deputy Fire Chief is expected to be posted by the Commonwealth in May 2019.

— City of New Bedford