Newly appointed Interim Lowell Fire Chief David Keene (right) stands with Phil Charron, who just retired from the position, in this 2023 LFD photo.
InsideLowell has learned that City Manager Tom Golden today named David Keene as the Interim Chief of the Lowell Fire Department.
Keene steps in for Phil Charron, who announced his retirement to the department this past June and served his last day on the job September 26th.
A Lieutenant at the time, Keene ascended to the post of Assistant to the Fire Chief in November of 2022. He’s served over three decades with LFD.
The process of naming a permanent replacement is expected to begin in October, though it’s not clear at this time if Keene will be a candidate for the position.
“I’m focusing on what’s in front of us,” Keene told InsideLowell when contacted Monday night. “My job, with the assistance of my leadership team, is to not only keep the ship afloat, but moving forward during the city’s process. I have every confidence we can provide the services Lowell has become accustomed to from Lowell Firefighters during this time.”
Manager Golden did not respond to our requests for comment.
2 responses to “Keene Named Lowell’s Interim Fire Chief”
Congratulations Chief Phil Charron on your retirement. Job well done
Thank you for your service to the City
As I stated back in June, the decision that Fire Chief Charron had decided to retire, “well that is just very sad news because by all accounts, the Chief has had 3 decades of pristine public service”!
In Lowell’s Plan E form of government, the ultimate statutory authority to appoint the next fire chief rests solely with City Manager Tom Golden. His choosing for the interim position of Fire Chief, David Keene, I believe is very smart for a number of reasons.
Interim Fire Chief Keene would have the crucial backing from the rank and file because he served for over a decade as the president of Lowell Firefighters Local 853 before getting into administration. This very strong labor background, combined with more than his thirty years of frontline and leadership experience within the department, gives him the needed ability to successfully navigate Lowell’s very complex budget challenges and overtime deficits with the full trust of his firefighters.
Furthermore, his past service on the retirement board, plus his recent position as assistant to Fire Chief Phillip Charron, will ensure much needed continuity. Keeping leadership internal, I feel, is critical because it perfectly aligns with the fire department’s strong preference for homegrown chiefs, who have “worked up the ladder” within the department as we all saw in the past. Manager Golden was very wise to be cognizant of that with his selection.
Now, more than ever, the city doesn’t need the unpredictability of an outside search, it needs an already known, tested, steady and very experienced hand on the rudder. While I understand and respect that a formal and permanent selection process is slated for the future, a logical, practical and fiscal look at the situation would say that the best candidate for the permanent job might already be now sitting in the captain’s chair.