NORTH ATTLEBORO - A retired Attleboro firefighter, an Army veteran and an investigator for the state Department of Revenue have been appointed to the town's fire commission.

After conducting interviews with 12 applicants, selectmen appointed Arthur Higginbotham, Lyle Pirnie and James Reddington to fill the vacant seats on the board.

The vacancies were created when selectmen dismissed the three former fire commissioners, alleging the board mishandled an investigation into complaint letters about the fire chief.

Higginbotham, a 30-year North Attleboro resident, said he recently retired from the Attleboro Fire Department. He was the fire alarm superintendent there, so he worked closely with the chief on payroll and budgeting issues.

Pirnie, who has lived in North Attleboro since 1984, is a West Point graduate and an Army veteran. He is the director of a small nonprofit organization called Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light and is the vice president of operations for the Jaiyu School, which worked to bring Chinese classes to the high school. Reddington, who recently served on the town's government study committee, has lived in town since 1986 and works as an investigator for the state Department of Revenue. He previously served on the East Providence Police Department and was a call firefighter in Seekonk many years ago.

Higginbotham, who was appointed to a two-year term, and Pirnie, who was appointed to serve a one-year term, were both unanimously selected by the board.

There was more division on who to appoint to the shortest term, which expires on June 1.

Initially, Selectmen Michael Thompson and John Rhyno voted for Reddington. Selectman Mark Williamson voted for Frank San Severino, an Attleboro resident who works as the fire alarm dispatcher in Lexington; and Selectman Christopher Sweet voted for Jason Speeckhaert, a call firefighter in North Attleboro and Cumberland, R.I.

On a second round of votes, Williamson cast the deciding vote for Reddington.

Selectman Paul Belham recused himself from voting on the matter because his son is a call firefighter.

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