Joshua Ferreira, a firefighter/paramedic who joined the Tiverton Fire Department nearly two decades ago and worked his way up through the ranks, has been promoted from captain to deputy fire chief — a position that has not been filled within the department since at least 1998.

Members of the Tiverton Town Council last week ratified a three-year employment contract, effective Feb. 12, that provides Ferreira an annual base salary of $85,500 to start, with an increase to $87,000 after six months. His annual compensation package, with benefits, totals $155,834, versus $119,579 in his current position as captain — a 30.3 percent increase. 

The promotion means Ferreira moves from a union position, which pays overtime, to a non-union, salaried, 40-hour-a-week administrative role, with no overtime and a contractual requirement that he is to be on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. 

A year ago, during budget talks, the town council approved Fire Chief William Bailey’s proposal to reinstate the long-dormant deputy fire chief position. For that reason, the associated costs are included in the current year’s budget. 

“When I proposed it for this fiscal year, it sailed right through, as everyone [on the council] felt the position was needed,” Bailey said. 

Before selecting Ferreira for the job, Bailey conducted a thorough vetting process that played out over many months. Once the number of candidates was narrowed down, finalists were interviewed by a panel that included Tiverton Police Chief Patrick Jones and administrators from fire departments in other communities. The last step was a written exam. Results were close, Bailey said, but Ferreira came in number one.  

He believes reinstatement of the number two position is justified in part by the current makeup of the department. 

“We hired 13 people after 2020, and we also have two more slated to go to the fire academy at the end of this month, so approximately 50 percent of this department has been here four years or less… As with any successful organization, you need a robust leadership team. From my perspective, having the deputy chief is important for moving this department forward, and he [Ferreira] represents the future of the Tiverton Fire Department.” 

Bailey said Ferreira’s responsibilities will evolve over time. The job description includes responsibility for the department in the chief’s absence, serving as the training and personnel officer, assisting with the grievance process, responding to fires and emergencies, when necessary, and assisting in directing firefighting activities when a major incident occurs. He will also assist the chief with emergency management duties as needed and represent the department at various government, professional and public meetings and activities. 

Ferreira became an EMT after graduating from Tiverton High School in 2002. At age 20, he joined Tiverton’s fire department and has been there ever since, eventually getting his paramedic credentials and working his way through the ranks from firefighter to lieutenant, captain, and now -- deputy fire chief. He currently serves as the department’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) director and infectious control officer. 

He is a nationally registered paramedic, Rhode Island Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal inspector/investigator, and he holds an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University.