PORTSMOUTH — Michael Cranson, who stepped down as Portsmouth’s fire chief in 2018 after spending 27 years with the department, started his new job as fire chief on the island of Nantucket, Mass. on Oct. 1.

The Nantucket Select Board appointed Cranson to be the island fire department’s top executive in a 3-1 vote on Aug. 17, according to the Cape Cod Times.

Cranson’s hiring was not without controversy, as the Select Board heard criticism for not hiring Deputy Fire Chief Sean Mitchell to the top job. Mitchell has been with the department since 2006.

Under his new contract, Cranson will receive a base salary of $165,000, the Cape Cod Times reported. The contract runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2025, and requires that Cranson live on Nantucket.

The subject of Cranson’s new job came up during the Oct. 11 Town Council meeting. The council accepted with regret the resignation of Cranson from the Dog Park Committee, effective Oct. 1.

“It has been my pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of individuals,” Cranston wrote in his resignation letter, dated Sept. 27.