Old Shelton FD Chief Eyed As New Shelton FD Chief


NOTE: We originally reported Fran Jones resigned as Shelton Fire Chief in 2010. That’s not true, according to Justin Sabatino, a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners.

Sabatino said that as Jones’ term expired in 2010, he asked to be re-appointed, but the previous Board of Commissioners did not take action on his request.

Jones had never commented to the Valley Indy about his departure from the chief’s position prior to Tuesday night. His answers to our questions about the issue are detailed in the story below.

Original story follows:

Assuming the mayor signs on the line which is dotted, Fran Jones will be the next chief of the Shelton Fire Department.

The Shelton Board of Fire Commissioners Tuesday voted unanimously to endorse Jones — 13 months almost to the day after he walked away from the same position.

Jones said he’s happy to back and moving the fire department forward.

“The department needs leadership,” he said.

The commissioners must get a letter onto the desk of Mayor Mark Lauretti, who has to sign off on the recommendation. The mayor could approve the recommendation sometime Wednesday.

It’s something Lauretti refused to do earlier this year, when the commissioners recommended veteran firefighter Mike Ullrich for the position. Lauretti repeatedly declined to go into specifics as to why he didn’t want Ullrich.

The position sat vacant for 13 months.

Ullrich — along with Jones and Paul Wilson — were the three final candidates for the position.

After the commissioners voted for Jones, Ullrich was gracious. The two are friends and grew up in Shelton together.

“Anyone of the three of us would be fine. Fran is going to be a great chief,” Ullrich said.

Charles Sutton, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, said all the candidates were solid.

“You are all very well qualified,” Sutton said. He said the decision wasn’t ​“cut and dry.”

“It was a tough decision. Everyone was very well spoken.”

Why did Jones decide to throw his hat back into the ring and take a position he gave up 13 months ago?

The vision and composition of the Board of Commissioners is different than it was 13 months ago, Jones said.

Is there bad blood between the fire department and the mayor’s office after 13 months chief-less?

No, Jones said.

PHOTO: Eugene DriscollJones said politics played a role in the delay, literally, because a member of the Shelton Fire Department — Democrat Chris Jones, no relation to Fran Jones, — was running against Lauretti. That caused some friction.

Lauretti was re-elected Nov. 8.

“What I believe, my personal opinion, the politics of the past year is what held up the process,” Fran Jones said. ​“Mayor Lauretti supports the fire department. He has supported it for the last 20 years.”

During the election, Chris Jones continually raised the fire departments ailing communications system as an issue.

Fran Jones said Tuesday Assistant Chief Nick Verdicchio and others are meeting once a week to address the issue and the Shelton Board of Aldermen will soon receive an estimate on what it could cost to improve the system.

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