EASTHAMPTON - Veteran firefighter Kevin Benson, 34, of Southampton, is now one of the department's five captains. He will replace John Phillips, who retired as captain after 32 years on the job.

Benson was sworn in Friday during a short ceremony at the Public Safety Complex. A full-time firefighter in Belchertown, Richard Aldrich, 25, was also sworn-in as an on-call firefighter in the same ceremony.

Fire Chief David Mottor said Benson easily passed a state civil service examination to become a captain and is very capable of taking on the position. "He was the only one to pass the test, but he was already my number one candidate," Mottor said. "He's cool and level-headed - I've never seen him sweat - and he is ambitious about seeking new education and training."

Phillips left some big shoes to fill when he retired on Jan. 1, Mottor said. While serving as the department's fire prevention officer for the last 14 years, Phillips was responsible for doing inspections to ensure that businesses and residences conform to fire codes.

"It's probably one of the most thankless jobs in any department," Mottor said. "A lot of officers that go into the position don't stay long, because it's a tough job."

Capt. Wayne Hennemann, a member of the force since 1995, has taken on the fire prevention position since Phillips retired.

The Fire Department is now staffed to the extent that the city budgeted for fiscal 2012, Mottor said. But vacancies that were not filled due to budget concerns mean the department is still short a deputy chief and one full-time firefighter, compared to staffing levels in the mid-1990s, he said.

Old School House

The roof of the Old School House on College Highway was completely repaired and restored thanks to $26,900 in Community Preservation Act funding voters approved at the May 2011 Town Meeting.

"This is a great example of how important CPA funding is," said Historical Commission Chairman Robert Kozub. "With the town being so strapped for money these days, we never could have done it properly without the CPA."

The building, located next to Conant Park, was built in 1845 as one of the town's two schoolhouses at the time. It ceased to be used as a schoolhouse in the 1930s, and it was sold and remodeled into a private residence, including alterations to the roof, Kozub said explained. In 1975 the town re-acquired the building and moved it to its current location to be used as museum.

Kozub said the recent restoration brings the roof and its substructure back to its original design. "The shingles were old and needed to be replaced, and we decided to take the opportunity to go for the restoration," Kozub said.

The Historical Commission was selective about awarding the bid for the work, Kozub said, because they wanted to be sure the bidder had experience restoring historic buildings. The work was completed by WPI Construction Inc. and cost just under the $26,900 in CPA funding that voters approved for the project at Town Meeting in May.

Kozub said the schoolhouse is open every Sunday in the summer to "show what a one-room schoolhouse was like," along with the Clark-Chapman House, a nearby 19th century home that was also converted to a museum. Every year, students from the William E. Norris School spend a day in the schoolhouse to learn about Southampton's history and see what life was like for students in the 1800s, he said.

Rebecca Everett can be reached at reverett@gazettenet.com.