Peter Gleeson, a deputy chief and a volunteer with the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department since 1976, has been appointed as Cape Elizabeth Fire Chief by Town Manager Michael McGovern.

The appointment is subject to an approval vote of the Cape Elizabeth Town Council at a special meeting on March 25, 2008.

Gleeson has been serving as acting fire chief since the retirement of former chief Philip McGouldrick in mid-January.

Gleeson served as a firefighter and lieutenant and captain of Engine One Company and has served as a deputy fire chief since 1980. He also formerly served as a reserve police officer for the Cape Elizabeth Police Department.

He has worked his entire professional career for Hannaford Brothers, beginning in a local grocery store, and has served since 2004 as supervisor of administrative services in the corporate office in Scarborough.

There were 34 applicants for the position, McGovern said. Ten of them were interviewed by a 10-member committee consisting of the volunteer leadership of the five companies of the department.

This committee, chaired by Fire/Police Unit Captain A. Charles Kennedy, recommended three finalists to the town manager. The town manager was joined by Police Chief Neil Williams in interviewing two of the finalists, as one candidate dropped out of the process.

Gleeson will begin his full time service with the Town of Cape Elizabeth shortly after the Town Council’s consideration of approval of the appointment. He will be the first full time chief to be appointed from the ranks of the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department.