Oak Bluffs has named Martin Greene, the former Bourne fire chief, to be the town’s interim fire chief.

A veteran firefighter from just over the bridge on Cape Cod, Mr. Greene was the unanimous choice of the Oak Buffs selectmen, it was announced at a meeting Tuesday.

Mr. Greene is a two-time recipient of the commonwealth firefighter of the year award, and he earned recognition from the Red Cross with its firefighter heroes award.

“He brings to the town a wealth of experience,” town administrator Robert Whritenour said, citing Mr. Greene’s work as an instructor in the Massachusetts fire officer training program, as well as his experience as a paramedic and hazardous materials incident response expert.

The six-month interim post begins April 6. Chief Green will take up residence on the Island. He will be paid $2,700 per week.

Selectmen interviewed four candidates for the job. The town has been without a fire chief since former chief John Rose resigned under pressure in late January. A short time later, deputy chief Shawn Broadley also resigned. The fire and EMS department has been experiencing internal turmoil for years.

“Chief Greene offered all of the attributes needed to help move the department forward, and he will be a great addition to our staff,” Mr. Whritenour said.

Speaking to the Gazette by phone this week, Chief Greene said he was born and raised in South Boston before moving to the Brockton area during his junior high school years. He graduated from Brockton High School and moved to Cape Cod soon after. At the time, he had an aunt who was married to an Islander. “I’ve been over to the Island several times. Many moons ago, I was there for a year and a half framing houses in Chilmark and Aquinnah. I’ve always liked the Island,” he said.

In 1981 he began working for the Bourne fire department and worked his way up through the ranks. In 2011 he became Bourne fire chief. He retired in 2015. “I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you I missed the service,” he said. “I think I can help the town and hopefully find the next permanent chief.”

Following his work in Bourne, Chief Greene worked as a training coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services hazardous materials response program. He also worked as a coordinator and instructor for the Barnstable County fire rescue training academy, and as a remote instructor for the security and emergency response training center in Pueblo, Colo. He has also been an adjunct professor of hazardous materials response and incident management at Cape Cod Community College since 2008.

“Ultimately, anyone in fire service is always either learning or teaching. And that’s one of the things, after I get my feet wet in Oak Bluffs and do some assessment, that they may need some help with, or I can point them in the right direction to somebody that does,” he said. “Truly, my other half of my fire services is teaching. So, I think it’ll help the Island and not just Oak Bluffs.”

Chief Greene also said the Island as a whole, when it comes to emergency services, presents unique challenges and he said he has always been impressed by the people who work in the profession on the Vineyard. He said he has already spoken with some of the other Island fire chiefs as he begins to get up to speed.

Given the current Covid-19 pandemic, Chief Greene said one of the most important aspects of the job, face-to-face contact with his coworkers, will be a challenge.

“I think I’m pretty open-minded, and normally I would go out of my way to meet some people. I always had an open-door policy and I will do it as much as I can, but it’s kind of crazy now,” he said.

Chief Greene said his top priority will be making sure the department has the tools they need to handle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We kind of have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. We have to work on making sure we keep everybody safe and reduce chances of exposure,” he said.

He said he has no plans to apply for the permanent position.

“As much as I miss it, I doubt that to be the case,” he said. “My mission is to help the town and help the department move forward and I hope to do that.”