A Connecticut police sergeant who has experience as a police officer, firefighter and emergency medical technician will lead Knightdale’s Public Safety Center as its director and chief of police.

Shawn Brown, 36, who is a sergeant for the Farmington Police Department in Farmington, Ct., has experience in every branch of public safety, said Assistant Town Manager Seth Lawless.

Brown said he will emphasize teamwork.

“I have worked for years to bridge the two entities (fire and police) in the towns where I have worked,” he said.

In fact, for about six years Brown was both a police officer for Farmington and a volunteer firefighter who obtained the rank of captain for nearby Avon Volunteer Fire Department in Avon, Ct.

He also worked as an EMT for Trinity Ambulance Service the year after he earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from the University of New Haven in New Haven, Connecticut. He later returned to the university to get his master’s degree in criminal justice.

While Brown was a firefighter for 14 years, he was responsible for the administration and command for the Avon Volunteer Department. He obtained his Firefigher I and Firefighter II certifications from Waterbury Technical College in Waterbury, Ct.

“He really had the combination of education and experience to lead the public safety department,” Lawless said.

Lawless said Brown and one other candidate emerged from the five-candidate field selected from telephone interviews with about 60 candidates who applied for the job. Brown and the other four participated in an assessment center, an intensive interview process that evaluates written and oral communication, as well as judging the candidates’ abilities through role play and a public forum.

Lawless and Town Manager Gary McConkey made the final decision on the selection.

“We had a number of qualified candidates and it came down to who we thought was best for Knightdale at this time,” said McConkey. “Shawn Brown stood out for his well-rounded experience in police, fire and emergency management operations. He is an intelligent young man with a bright future, and we are fortunate to have him here in Knightdale.”

Brown’s arrival hasn’t been set, but he must live inside Knightdale or within five minutes of the town once he comes.

“I want the police department to be able to work with the community and as the town is growing, I want the police department to be able to grow with it, and continue that partnership,” he said.

Brown said he didn’t know anything about Knightdale before he saw an ad on the Internet for the position. He quickly researched it, he said, and liked what he saw.

His wife, Megan, daughter Abigail, 7 and son Gage, 4, came to visit when Brown participated in the assessment center.

“We loved how friendly and compassionate everybody was,” he said. “Being in the town of Knightdale was a privilege. They turned something (the assessment center) that should have been the most stressful thing in my life to something that was an enjoyable experience and I think that’s the kind of environment I would like to work with.”

Brown said Megan was sold on the town, too. He said she visited the library while he was being interviewed and said she made more friends during an hour than she had in their home of New Hartford the last five or six years, Brown said.

Brown was born in Boston, Mass. but has spent most of his life in Connecticut.

Lawless said the town will host a reception for Brown so residents can meet him once he is on board. He expects him to be working for Knightdale by mid-February.

The job of police chief came open after former Chief Ricky Pope retired in July. Pope was arrested for assaulting his ex-wife. The town later decided to expand the post to police chief/public safety director.

Brown’s salary will be $85,300.