Brandon Dimacchia sworn in as Amherst Fire Chief

AMHERST — The Amherst Fire Department has a new man at the helm after Fire Chief Brandon Dimacchia was sworn in at the fire station on Tuesday evening. The department has been mourning the death of 40-year department veteran and Fire Chief Jim Wilhelm, but the station was full of laughter and applause as Dimacchia took his oath. "I've been here 27 years, roughly, and every single day has been awesome," Dimacchia said. "We've had a lot of depressing times, we've had a lot of exciting times over the years but the support that this city, the township, the district gets from the guys in this group, it wouldn't happen without them." Dimacchia will carry a piece of his late mentor with him, as his wife Wendy Dimacchia pinned Wilhelm's badge to his chest. It was gifted back to the department by Wilhelm's widow Kim Wilhelm, who was in attendance Tuesday. "You know how proud of you we are in the city," Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said before swearing in Dimacchia. "The Safety/Service Director (John Jeffreys) and I are just blessed to have a group like you taking care of us and keeping us safe, and now getting a new chief. Department Chaplain Rich Henry led the department and those gathered in support of Dimacchia in a prayer. "This is a great occasion, I'm very happy for you Brandon and I'm very happy for this department," Henry said. "… Our hearts are saddened to think about the loss of Jim (Wilhelm) but we are excited about the new opportunities that are coming in Brandon." Along with serving as a volunteer firefighter in Amherst, where he lives, Dimacchia is also a full-time firefighter in Bay Village. Dimacchia told The Chronicle that Costilow adjusted the requirements for chief to 30 hours a week so that Dimacchia could remain with Bay Village, but that he would likely retire and devote all his time to Amherst by early 2027. As Dimacchia was sworn in as chief he was flanked by his family, and Costilow thanked all the Dimacchias for their commitment to Amherst. "It's a great honor to be chief, but it's also a great commitment," Costilow said. "… It's just indescribable how important it is to me and the city, and I want to thank his family for being part of this and understanding the time commitment and the heart it's gonna take to be your chief." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.