State House News Service

Former Uxbridge Fire Chief Selected as Next State Fire Marshal

 Peter Ostroskey, the deputy state fire marshal and a former fire chief, was named by the Fire Service Commission earlier this week to succeed retiring Fire Marshal Stephen Coan. The fire marshal serves as the head of the Department of Fire Services, an agency created in 1995 responsible for the coordination of fire service policy and operations. In his 30 years with the Uxbridge Fire Department, Ostroskey rose from the rank of private to the position of fire chief, a position he held for eight years. In 2012, Ostroskey was named deputy state fire marshal. "I am honored to be the commission's choice and I look forward to serving in the Baker-Polito administration and working with Secretary (Daniel) Bennett and fire service leaders to ensure the safety of our firefighters and the public," Ostroskey said in a statement. As deputy fire marshal, Ostroskey has been in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Department of Fire Services. He also has prior experience working for the Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board, now known as the State 911 Department. The fire marshal heads up a department that consists of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, the Fire Safety Division, the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division, Administration Services, the Special Operations Unit, and the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Section. Commission chair David Butler, the fire chief in Everett, said in a statement that the panel had interviewed several talented and qualified applications before choosing Ostroskey. "We have confidence that he will build on the legacy of retiring State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, bringing a new vision on how to most effectively train firefighters and protect the public through strong codes, uniform code enforcement and public education," Butler said in a statement. State Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett endorsed the pick, calling Ostroskey "the right person to lead the agency through this transition and will be a strong member of the public safety team." Ostroskey will begin serving as acting state fire marshal on Monday and will be stripped of the acting title once his appointment is made official. - Michael Norton and Colin A. Young/SHNS