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Whalen Leaves a Legacy of Collaboration, Service, and Perseverance
Sudbury Fire Chief John Whalen will be retiring in February 2025. Sudbury Town Manager Andy Sheehan told Sudbury Weekly:
“I am very appreciative of Chief John Whalen’s commitment to the Town of Sudbury and the Sudbury Fire Department, and his devotion to the fire service. Chief Whalen worked for Sudbury for 14 years, seven as Deputy Chief and the last seven as Chief of the Department. I very much enjoyed working with Chief Whalen and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement. On behalf of the Town of Sudbury, thank you, Chief!”
Sudbury Town Manager, Andy Sheehan
Whalen took the post as Sudbury’s Fire Chief in 2018, after being selected by then-Town Manager Melissa Rodriguez. At the time, Rodriguez noted:
“After an extensive internal process with several qualified candidates, I have selected John Whalen to serve as the Town of Sudbury’s next fire chief,” Rodrigues said. “John stood out based on his administrative experience and understanding of the Town’s structure, budget and protocols. I’m looking forward to serving with him and to continuing the great traditions of the Sudbury Fire Department.”
2018 Announcement
Prior to that selection, Whalen had served as Sudbury’s Assistant Fire Chief starting in 2010. He served 30 years in the Ayer Fire Department prior to that.
Whalen’s service to Sudbury is highlighted by several milestones and achievements.
In December 2023, the first phase of the renovation of Fire Station #2 was completed, providing expanded living space for firefighters, but it also allowed the department to locate an advanced life support ambulance at the station. Also in 2023, the department secured a nearly $400,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which was written by Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Choate. That grant allowed the department to replace all of its 22 year-old radios with tri-band portable radios. The new technology also improved communication capabilities with Sudbury’s mutual aid partners locally and regionally.
As a whole, the department responded to 2,559 emergencies in 2023. That was up from 2,458 in 2022, and up from 2,282 in 2018, when Whalen was elevated to Fire Chief.
Whalen built a reputation for collaborative leadership with other Town departments, community organizations and neighboring communities. His approach helped the department rise to meet the increasing needs of the town as new housing developments were built and resources were stretched thin.
In the 2018 Town Report, Whalen concluded “I would like to thank all the organizations located in Town for their support during the past year. The Fire Department has been presented with many challenges and I feel that all employees have done a great job providing the needed services to residents. This success requires the cooperation of other Town departments without which we would not be as successful.”
Highlighting successful collaborations, the Sudbury Fire and Police Departments were awarded the “Call of the Quarter” in response to a cardiac call in August 2021. In 2019, three members of the Sudbury Fire Department were honored at the Firefighter of the Year Awards Ceremony for “extraordinary efforts during the ice rescue of a cross-country skier who had fallen through the ice into Willis Lake.”
More recently, Whalen offered gratitude for mutual aid support on a two-alarm fire in August 2024. “The weather posed a serious challenge as we battled this fire, but companies did an excellent job of getting inside the home and knocking down the seat of the fire,” said Chief Whalen. “I’d like to thank all of our mutual aid companies for their response. The communities around us were also busy with storm calls, but they still showed up to help us when we needed it.”
Whalen successfully led the department through the Covid-19 pandemic. In the 2020 Town Report, Whalen once again highlighted collaboration and teamwork. His comments embodied the selflessness of a career-long public servant:
“2020 was a year that stretched the resources of the Fire Department and the Board of Health to their limits. The pandemic presented many challenges that needed to be overcome to work at protecting the community. Because of the teamwork between these two agencies, we were successful keeping our staff and the public safe during these unprecedented times.”
2020 Annual Town Report
[Feature image: Town of Sudbury]