Middletown swears in Mark Antoszewski as first career fire chief; board highlights transition plan

Mark Antoszewski was sworn in as Middletown Township Chief of Fire and Emergency Services at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

The board said the appointment follows a two-year assessment and a 2022 strategic plan that recommended creating a combination department of paid and volunteer firefighters. Thioli Coles, who introduced the chief, described a nationwide recruitment that produced 20 candidates, narrowed to six, and then two finalists, culminating in a unanimous recommendation of Antoszewski.

"Mark Antoszewski ... was the ideal candidate for Middletown," Coles said, citing his leadership experience, fire-service education and teaching roles. Antoszewski, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former chief in Hamilton Township, N.J., took the oath and thanked the board and community, saying he was "excited to get to work" and that his focus would be collaboration among chiefs, career staff and mutual-aid partners.

The board and staff recognized interim director Don Harris for his work during the transition and invited chiefs from the four volunteer companies serving Middletown to join the ceremony. Supervisors described the appointment as a milestone in implementing the strategic plan and expressed confidence the new chief can lead a coordinated combination department.

The board recessed briefly for a group photograph with volunteer fire-company representatives and the new chief. No formal policy votes were taken on the appointment at the meeting; the ceremony was ceremonial and administrative in nature.

The township said next steps include continued meetings between the chief, volunteer chiefs and career staff to implement the strategic plan that guided the selection process.