ADAMS — Perhaps it was inevitable that a man named David Lennon would one day become fire chief.

For four generations, the Lennon name has been synonymous with the Adams Fire Department. Now, David J. Lennon, 58, is set to take the department’s top post after voters elected him chief Tuesday in an uncontested Adams Fire District election.

Until this week, Lennon served as first assistant engineer, making him the natural successor after Chief John Pansecchi announced his retirement this spring following nine years in the role.

Lennon is part of the third generation of David Lennons to serve in the department. His son, David A. Lennon — a fourth assistant engineer, who was elected to his first term on Tuesday — represents the fourth generation.

The two are also colleagues at Nessacus Regional Middle School in Dalton, where David J. Lennon is retiring at the end of the school year after a career teaching engineering. His son teaches social studies there.

Outside the fire department, Lennon also serves on the Adams Finance Committee.

Although the chief’s term is traditionally three years, Lennon said he plans to serve just one year as the district considers restructuring the position from an elected, part-time role with a stipend to a fulltime appointed position with a salary.

That change, slated for July 1, 2027, will require district voters' approval.

“I’m in favor of getting a fulltime chief,” he said. “It's needed right now. The pool of applicants is really shallow, and I don't see it getting better anytime soon.”

Fire Chief David J. Lennon said he welcomes additional recruits to the firefighters in Adams.

Lennon said the department is always looking for volunteers and is willing to train anyone interested in serving the community.

He said replacing the aging station somewhere in downtown Adams is a key priority for him.

Lennon said he’ll try to build on Pansecchi’s legacy.

“We're going to do the best that we can, trying to pick up where he left off and try to continue what he started,” he said.

The proposed stipend for Lennon will be $40,000. Pansecchi’s salary this year was $29,989.49.

Lennon's election marks a leadership transition for the department after years under Pansecchi’s command.

While Pansecchi won’t continue as a firefighter, partly because he said he doesn’t want to second-guess the new chief, he will have a position as an elected member of the Prudential Committee. He’s filling the two-year unexpired term of Thomas Satko, who announced in January that he would resign as of Tuesday’s election.

Reflecting on his 29 years of service, Pansecchi said the job has become increasingly complex, laden with more tasks — including inspections of solar arrays.

Adams Fire Chief John Pansecchi retired on Tuesday. One of his reasons was to spend more time with his family. Here he is with 8-week-old granddaughter Amelia.

Pansecchi, 60, has a fulltime job as a dispatcher and hopes to have more time for his family.

“I haven’t golfed much in the past 20 years,” he said. “I want to get back into that.”

Reflecting on his start as an apprentice 29 years ago, Pansecchi was given a helmet and boots and told to respond to the scanner.

Today, apprentice firefighters are issued more equipment, including bunker pants, pagers, hoods and training of 250 hours before going into a burning building.

Firefighting strategy has also evolved, with crews now typically beginning with an exterior attack before moving inside if necessary.

“The studies have shown it’s not as dangerous,” he said.

Pansecchi recalled fighting a fire at Broad Brook Farm at 2:15 a.m. in the dairy barn.

“Basically the fire was going from one end to the other,” he said, and multiple departments were called to the scene.

Family members asked the firefighters to save the milk house.

“And we were able to do that,” he said. “Shortly after sunrise, other farmers from around the area started showing up and built a pathway for the cows to come in. And the cows came in and started doing the milking while we were still putting the fire out.”