The city of Portland, Maine, is starting the new year with a new fire chief.
Chad Johnston, a 25-year veteran of the Portland Fire Department, has been appointed as the city’s 17th fire chief, WCSH reports.
Johnston, who comes from a family of firefighters, expressed excitement about his new role and outlined his goals for his tenure.
A top priority for Johnston is addressing recruitment and retention challenges, noting the need to attract new talent to a shrinking workforce.
He also aims to establish a long-awaited training facility within the city, a project that has been on the department’s agenda for decades. Currently, firefighters travel to Yarmouth for training, but Johnston hopes to provide a local space for ongoing skill development.
In addition to these initiatives, Johnston is focused on preparing for potential changes to OSHA’s fire brigade standard, which has not been updated in more than 40 years. He plans to create a working group within his first 100 days to evaluate the impact of these proposed changes on the Portland Fire Department.
