Pictured from Left: Sean Cox, Manager of Security; Robert Savarese, Jr., Chief of EB Fire Department; Don Farquhar, Fire Inspector; Elicia Spearman, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer; Eric Rommal, Director of Security
This week, Electric Boat marked several important milestones at a ceremony at the firehouse in Groton. For the first time in its history, the department hosted a traditional pinning ceremony celebrating the promotion of two department members. And, the department marked an important shift in its schedule, which will improve service to EB as well as the department’s ability to attract and retain talent.
Badge pinning is a proud tradition within fire departments, signifying the introduction of department members to their new duties. At Tuesday’s ceremony, Donald Farquhar was promoted to Chief of the Electric Boat Fire Department and Robert Savarese, Jr. was promoted to Fire Inspector.
Firefighters from the region with personal and professional ties to the EB team attended. Members of the Manchester unit, where Farquhar worked for 25 years before he joined EB in 2018, were in attendance, as were members of squads from the city of Groton, Poquonnock Bridge, Norwich and New London. City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick, members of EB management and the 28-member EB Fire Department also attended.
Farquhar spoke on behalf of both promoted firemen. He spoke about the transition to EB as well as the tremendous partnership between the Security team, the Fire Department and EB management. Farquhar also spoke of his own family tie to EB’s history. After the death of his great grandfather in 1934, Farquhar’s grandfather, suddenly needing to support his family, met O. Pomeroy Robinson, Jr., then-senior vice president of General Dynamics at the funeral services. Robinson offered Farquhar’s grandfather a job. Farquhar’s grandfather had a 42-year career at EB, and contributed to the construction of 85 diesel boats. He served as lead electrical engineer on USS Nautlius and finished his career in 1976 as the superintendent of the Trident Prototype Facility in New York.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Sean Cox, Manager of Security, Eric Rommal, Director of Security and Elicia Spearman, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.
“Today is historic, because we are celebrating the promotion of two very deserving members of our fire department with a traditional ceremony held at firehouses across the country,” said Spearman. “We are also marking the shift to a 24-hours-on/48-hours-off schedule, like other fire departments. This is something our firefighters asked for us to secure for them, and we are thrilled to be able to improve our ability to attract new talent and retain and enhance the quality life of our existing team members.”
Spearman noted that the change in policy was already having an impact. The department recently posted an opening and had fifty applicants, demonstrating she said, “That the EB Fire Department is the place to be.”
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