Middletown Fire Department Honors Promotions and Family Legacies

The has promoted two firefighters, each serving in their role as captains, each carrying on a family tradition.

Andrew Meehan was promoted from Shift Captain to Training Captain during a ceremony with the Middletown Fire Department Honor Guard held in Town Council chambers on May 16. Joining him was Mark Wilkey, who was promoted from firefighter to shift captain.

Fire Chief Ronald Doire spoke highly of each firefighter and noted how each was carrying on family traditions that span the three Aquidneck Island communities.

Captain Meehan's father, the late Charles Meehan, served as deputy chief within the Newport Fire Department and retired after 32 years. Meehan first joined the Middletown Fire Department in 1987 and was promoted to lieutenant in July 2004 before becoming shift captain in 2004, according to Doire. He is licensed as an EMT, trained in hazardous materials, search and rescue, rapid intervention, confined space rescue, command training and more, Doire noted.

With his promotion, Meehan will play a key role with the training of the four new firefighters scheduled to join the Middletown Fire Department next month, Doire said.

A Middletown resident, Meehan and wife Sharon have three children.

Newly promoted Shift Captain Mark Wilkey joined the Middletown Fire Department in November of 1992. He is licensed as an EMT and is trained in hazardous materials, rapid intervention, confined space rescue, local water SCUBA diving, and vehicle extrication, according to Doire.

His father, Peter Wilkey, retired as chief from the Portsmouth Fire Department after 37 years of service, where he held the chief’s position for more than 12 years, according to Doire.

Wilkey will assume leadership of Shift 1 and will play a key role in the selection of fire department equipment, Doire said.

Wilkey and wife Denise have two children.

The wives of Meehan and Wilkey also took part in the ceremony and pinned the new badges to each captain’s uniform. They were later presented with flowers from Town Council President Art Weber.

More of Doire's remarks can be viewed in the video at right.

The complete ceremony was recorded and may be viewed in its entirety on the Town of Middletown website here.