RUMFORD – Selectmen at Thursday night’s board meeting authorized interim Town Manager Len Greaney to hire Mexico fire Chief Gary Wentzell to also serve as chief of The Rumford Fire Department.

Chief John Woulffe III took a job elsewhere months ago and the Rumford department has been led by acting Chief Richard Coulombe.

Before agreeing to take on the job, Wentzell, who attended and talked about the offer, must first discuss it with Mexico and Rumford selectmen and Mexico Town Manager John Madigan.

Reading from a prepared statement, Greaney said he met with Rumford firefighters earlier in the day, telling them he would like to build a fire and ambulance public safety team consisting of Rumford and Mexico fire departments and Med-Care Ambulance.

Two Rumford firefighters, however, didn’t share Greaney’s team-players ideal.

Prior to the start of the selectmen meeting, Greaney asked deputy fire Chief Ben Byam and firefighter Mark Tripp, the department’s union president, to leave, Byam and Tripp said from outside the municipal building as the meeting continued inside.

“Len Greaney asked us to leave, because (Selectman Chairman) Arthur Boivin felt we were on duty,” Tripp said. “I have no idea why they asked us to leave.”

“Ten hours after the town manager asked us to work as a team, he ruined the team,” Byam said.

Back at the meeting, Greaney said he’d like Rumford to share Wentzell as fire chief.

Selectman Frank DiConzo then motioned to hire Wentzell as a shared fire chief for Rumford. Discussion ensued.

“To move forward, we need a non-union manager in the fire department to work with myself and the firefighters’ union,” Greaney said. “I want to start to build what I think could be one of the greatest fire departments in Maine.”

Greaney said that Madigan and Mexico selectmen had already been polled on the matter in the past and consented.

“Gary and I called this an experiment. I’d like to see it go on through my tenure to the year ending June 30,” 2009, Greaney said.

Wentzell then approached the board.

“My goal is not to come over here for the money end of it,” said Wentzell, who intends to continue working at his mechanic business of 30 years.

“I want to work with the full-time members and the call-force members, but I can guarantee you that probably none of the full-time people want me there, but I think this is worth giving it a shot at this time. It’s going to take a lot of work and it’s not going to be easy. If I can get some cooperation, it’s worth trying. … This area does have one of the better departments in the state as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Wentzell said his first priority would be to ensure that Rumford’s firefighters keep their jobs.

“If the goal of your board is to go to a volunteer department or a two-man department, then I’m not the guy to do this,” he said.

After more discussion, Boivin said, “This is a good way to start sharing services.”

The board voted 5-0 authorizing Greaney to hire Wentzell.

In other business, selectmen and Greaney named longtime resident and businessman Vito Gaccetta as Citizen of the Year then gave him awards.

“This is an honor and I’m pleased to accept this award,” Gaccetta said. “I’m accepting this for the citizens of Rumford and the River Valley, individuals who made this possible, because without them, I would not be here.”