Salem Tabs Alan Dionne As City's New Fire Chief

SALEM, MA — Twenty-eight years after joining the Salem Fire Department Alan Dionne is now fully in charge of it.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll named acting chief Dionne as the city's new full fire chief on Thursday.

"When I joined the Salem Fire Department in 1993, I had no idea what it meant to be a firefighter," Dionne said in a statement. "Soon after, I learned that I was part of something very special. It's humbling to think 28 years later I now have the opportunity to serve as chief of the department that has meant so much to me in a city I love."

Dionne joined the department in 1993 and was promoted to lieutenant for Engine 1 and Ladder 2 in 2000. He became captain on Ladder 2 in 2004. In 2016, he was named deputy chief, then elevated to acting chief earlier this year when Gerry Giunta retired.

"I am so pleased to be able to appoint Al to this important position," Driscoll said. "He has been a steadfast and conscientious member of the department for nearly three decades, serving our community selflessly and with dedication for all those years. I am certain he will continue to be a strong leader for the Salem Fire Department into the future and I am so grateful that he is willing to serve in this vital role."

Dionne graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy in 1993 and has been a licensed EMT for 25 years. He also has extensive training and background in emergency management, hazardous materials operations and labor management.

Dionne will be formally sworn in at a public ceremony at a time and date to be determined.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)