The Town Council meeting last week was a special one, with plenty of ceremony marking the end of Tom Coyle's police career and the formal beginning of his tenure as East Greenwich town manager.
In addition, the East Greenwich Fire Department's first two new firefighters were sworn in, two police officers received promotions, and five firefighters were recognized (in absentia) for service beyond the call of duty.
Coyle, outgoing EG police chief, was recognized for his 25 years of service to the Town of East Greenwich. He was then sworn in as the town's first new town manager in (coincidentally) 25 years. Coyle succeeds Bill Sequino as town manager.
With the East Greenwich Fire District becoming the EG Fire Department last summer, probationary firefighters Christian Hall and Matthew Howard are the department's first new hires. Hall was pinned by his father, Jeff Hall, a retired Warwick firefighter and former EG Fire District firefighter.
On the police side, Tyler Lufkin was promoted from patrolman to sergeant and Robert Siple was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant.
Acting Fire Chief Russ McGillivray also was to have given a commendation to five firefighters but in the middle of the ceremony, a call came through and they had to do what they do – respond.
Those firefighters managed to uncover the address of a suicidal man after the street name given by the help line turned out to be wrong. They are Lt. Michael Sullivan, Lt. Robert Gardner, FF Jonathan Szerlag, FF Anthony Deluca, and probationary FF Matthew Howard.
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