ENFIELD — Amid concerns that infighting, favoritism and politicking have driven a wedge through Enfield’s fire department, a consultant brought in by the town says it’s time to reorganize the volunteer force under the town manager.

By doing away with elected fire wards, the department could see less infighting, strengthen its training standards and potentially bring back members who left in recent years, according to Brian Duggan, a consultant with the Meredith, N.H.-based Municipal Resources Inc.

“The general organizational consensus of the Enfield Fire Department members that spoke with me stated a concern over a reduction in membership, noted an increase in conflict and felt that it is time to transition to a municipal governance model,” Duggan, a former fire chief of Northhampton, Mass., wrote in a March 2 letter to town officials.

“Based on best practice and considering the guidance provided by the majority of participating members of the fire department, I believe that is it time for Enfield to transition to a municipal governance model.”

The town paid MRI $2,500 for its report on the fire department, which comes as officials consider abolishing Enfield’s fire wards, three elected officials who oversee the fire department and choose its leadership. Instead, the department would be merged with the ambulance service and supervised by Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth, who oversees other public safety departments.

An article on this year’s Town Meeting warrant asks voters to approve the change, which would take effect in 2020.

Duggan toured the town last week, meeting with administrators, fire wards and 18 members of the fire department for brief interviews. He also offered about 30 first responders, including members of the ambulance service, an opportunity to provide written comments.

What he found were several problems dividing firefighters and the department’s leadership team.

A majority of firefighters told Duggan they were concerned with a “perceived lack of communication” from the fire wards. And less than half of those interviewed said the fire wards understand the fire departments needs better than the town manager.

Most of the firefighters Duggan spoke with also expressed concern over “relationship-based decision making” in the department, where people would be promoted based on whom they know rather than qualifications or performance.

Overall, Duggan said, more than 70 percent of fire department members interviewed felt the fire ward system should be replaced.

“Many felt the model was outdated and, as it involves members of the fire department, it is too internally and externally political,” Duggan wrote in his letter to the town.

Everyone he interviewed said that firefighters have been leaving the department and “many believe that at least some part of that reduction is based on internal conflict.”

Duggan also endorsed the fire department’s merger with the town’s ambulance service, but said members shouldn’t be forced to cross-train. Those who want to remain primarily firefighters should be allowed to do so, he said.

Only two of the town’s three fire wards met with Duggan, who didn’t identify them by name in his letter. Both officials said they were concerned about the department and trying hard “to do the right thing,” he said in the letter.

The fire wards, which normally only hold one posted meeting a year, haven’t convened since mid-February, when they accepted then-Fire Chief David Crate’s resignation.

Crate was replaced during that meeting by Fred Cummings, a firefighter and former Selectboard member, who resigned days later amid contention over his appointment. Since then, Assistant Fire Chief John Pellerin has been in charge.

The fire wards have postponed meeting again until after the upcoming Town Meeting vote, according to Fire Ward Lloyd Hackeman.

“Having a meeting at this time could result in more backlash, the loss of firefighters, and move the department in a negative direction,” he wrote last month in a post on the town’s Listserv.

Messages left for Hackeman and Fire Ward Ken Wheeler were not returned on Wednesday. A phone number listed for Fire Ward Timothy Taylor was no longer in service.

The town will hold a community information meeting on its plan for the fire department at 6 p.m. Monday in the Enfield Community Building, located at 308 Route 4.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.