Leadership Transition Coming at Brattleboro Fire Department
Brattleboro Fire Chief Mike Bucossi has announced his retirement, effective April 1, 2021. Bucossi has served the community in the Brattleboro Fire Department (BFD) for literally his entire adult life. He became a call firefighter in 1975 during his senior year at BUHS and became a full-time firefighter two years later. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1984, to Captain in 1985, and to Assistant Chief in 2000. He became Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator in July of 2007 upon the retirement of Fire Chief / EMC Chief David Emery.
During his 43-year career full-time with BFD, Bucossi provided leadership at countless incidents. At two of the most memorable and significant, he was the Incident Commander at the Wilder Block fire on December 4, 2004, and at the Brooks House block fire on April 17, 2011. He also was the Operations Officer (second in command under then Town Manager Barbara Sondag) during the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011.
During his 14 years as Fire Chief, Bucossi oversaw the expansion and renovation of the Central Fire Station and the construction of a new West Brattleboro Fire Station.
He also oversaw the replacement of all five pieces of major fire apparatus: four engines and an aerial ladder truck. Representing the Town of Brattleboro and his colleagues in the fire service, Bucossi served on many committees including the Brattleboro School Crisis Response Committee, the Long Term Care Facilities Emergency Committee, the Governor’s Emergency Preparedness Advisory Council, the Governor’s Opiate Council, the Vermont State Homeland Security Grants Review Committee, and the Vermont Urban Search & Rescue Governance Board. He also was a member and past president of the Vermont Career Fire Chiefs Association and was the Vermont representative to the New England Association of Fire Chiefs Board of Directors.
“There are individuals in our community who owe their lives to Chief Bucossi,” said Town Manager Peter Elwell, “and all of us owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for 43 years of dedicated service and 14 years of leadership as our Fire Chief.” Elwell said Bucossi also provided an important service to BFD and the community by helping Leonard Howard become well prepared to succeed Bucossi as Chief.
“It is my pleasure to announce that Lenny Howard will become the Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator upon Chief Bucossi’s April 1 retirement,” Elwell said.
“We are fortunate to have someone right here who is ready for this new challenge and will bring to it his own long and effective service to our community and his profession.”
Elwell said that in addition to working with Howard on the Town’s management team during the past 5 years, he interviewed Howard with Selectboard Chair Tim Wessel, Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland, and Human Resources Director Sally Nix. Elwell said the panel unanimously agreed that Howard is ready for his promotion to Chief.
Like Bucossi, Howard has served the Town of Brattleboro for his entire adult life. Howard became a call firefighter in 1987 during his senior year at BUHS and became a
full-time firefighter ten years later. During his time as a call firefighter, Howard reached the rank of Lieutenant while also serving as a full-time Water Service Worker in the Department of Public Works. After becoming a full-time firefighter in 1997, he was promoted to Lieutenant in 2001, to Captain in 2007, and to Assistant Chief in 2016.
TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO
Town Manager’s Office
230 Main Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8151
FAX (802) 257-2322
