Welcome Chiefs Kindelan and Marshall
By Barbara Williams
Our new police chief, Zachary Kindelan, has a lot of ideas about how to manage a small city police operation. His 15 years of law enforcement experience comes from an array of policing environments: security forces for the US Air Force, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s office and the Maine State Police.
When he heard about the job in Hallowell, he jumped at the opportunity to reframe people’s ideas about law enforcement. “Community policing is key to the City’s safety, so I have an opendoor policy.” Chief Kindelan wants to hear people’s concerns from the source. He says, “It's the best way to build trust and be proactive about public safety.”
So, don’t be surprised when your kids come home from school saying the cops were there. Everything is ok! He wants the students to know and trust our officers, so he intends to be a familiar face at Hall-Dale Elementary and Hall-Dale High School. Make sure you stop by the station to say “hello” the next time you are downtown.
Like Chief Kindelan, our new fire chief, Ted Marshall, will soon become a familiar face around town. That's because he sees fire prevention and public awareness as the most important parts of his role as leader of the FD. Chief Marshall is planning to conduct fire prevention presentations around the City, so keep an eye out for those. Our new Chief started his career as an aviation electronics technician at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina. While there, he volunteered with the Havelock, NC Fire Department and earned his paramedic certification, before working there full-time.
When he was ready to come back home to Topsham, he secured a job as a fire fighter at the Togus VA Fire Department. Chief Marshall has been on five deployments as a wildlands fire fighter in Alaska, Colorado, Nevada and Quebec. He's worked for the Kennebec Emergency Management Agency and is a member of the Augusta Fire Honor Guard. While serving as our fire chief, Ted will also cover shifts with the Topsham and Augusta Fire Departments. Welcome, Chief Marshall!