SUMNER — Sumner’s fire chief has applied to become the town’s next Emergency Management Director, according to a cover letter he sent to the town August 28.

Kathleen Emery, Sumner’s planning board secretary and chair of the Industrial Wind Ordinance Committee has also applied for the position, selectmen announced at their August 28 meeting.

At the meeting, they also accepted, with regret, Emery’s resignation as a planning board alternate. Emery was not present at the meeting.

According to selectmen, they are currently seeking a replacement for Emery.

Bob Stewart, Sumner’s fire chief, has been active in the fire service for the past 15 years – the past six, for Sumner, he wrote in his letter.

“This experience has allowed me to become highly trained to deal with a wide variety of emergencies such as house fire, woods fires, floods, tornadoes, ice storms, blizzards, downed power lines, vehicle fires, etc.,” wrote Stewart.

Whoever is selected will replace Tom Standard, who served as Emergency Management Director for Sumner, Hartford and Buckfield for 16 years. Standard resigned from Sumner’s post on July 10.

According to reports, Standard will continue to serve Hartford and Buckfield and has agreed to serve out the remainder of his term to work with whomever replaces him to make sure the transition is smooth.

Stewart has his Firefighter-I certification, he told selectmen in the letter and with this training and experience mentioned above, he says he is “well aware of the many resources that are available in an emergency on a local, county and statewide level.”

In addition, he pointed out he already has “excellent” working relationships with local and state emergency personnel, including state police, county deputies, game wardens and the staff at the Oxford County Regional Communication Center.

Selectmen will review both resumes and decide what qualifications are necessary in order to fulfill the position as Sumner’s EMA director.

In other news, the board:

• Announced that Sumner’s Fire Department is eligible to receive a 50/50 matching grant of $5,000 through the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program (VFA). The application deadline is November 9.

• Signed the appointments for Dorothy Lee Berry as Health Officer for a three-year term; Ralph Dunn to the Arrabine Dunn Emergency Relief Fund for a three-year term (he established the fund in 1996); Stephen Peters as an alternate to the planning board for one year; and James Gammon as a planning board member for three years.

• Heard from Road Commissioner James Keach that the town recently purchased a 1990 John Deere grader for $12,500 at a state surplus auction in Augusta, to replace the town’s 27-year-old grader. He also reported the road sign for Homestead Way has been installed.

• Agreed to answer questions asked by resident Ted Dawicki about property market adjustments at its next meeting September 11 at 7 p.m.