WASHINGTON CITY – The Washington City Fire Department has a new fire chief today.
Brent Hafen was sworn in as Washington’s new fire chief Wednesday, succeeding former Fire Chief Jim Guynn who has taken a position as the city’s new fire marshal.
Hafen brings over 18 years experience in firefighting to the city’s fire department. His nearly two decades of experience have been served with the St. George Fire Department where he started as a volunteer and eventually became one of the department’s captains.
Upon replacing Guynn, Hafen complimented how advanced Washington’s fire department was compared to St. George when it oversaw a population of nearly 20,000.
“We’re well into the progress of a fire department (for a city this size),” he said. “The city has been very progressive with its fire department.”
Aside from his new position, Hafen said a grant will allow the fire department to hire at least three new full-time firefighters and a couple of new part-timers. The plan is to keep Washington’s two fire stations staffed as much as possible.
Currently Washington employs three full-time firefighters who are also paramedics. Hafen said the fire department responds to all medical calls within the city, which is approximately 1,200 per year. When necessary, Dixie Ambulance handles 911-emergency transport to Dixie Regional Medical Center.
In the long run, Hafen said the Washington City Fire Department will consist of a fire marshal, a fire chief, a captain, six full-time firefighters and a number of part-time firefighters and volunteers.
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.
This looks to me like a true win-win-win situation! Congrats to Washington City for getting another top man for a top position. Congrats to a very dedicated and experienced man that has been named Chief, and to another man for moving on to another good job.
I’d be willing to bet that you can count on one hand how many cities with a population of less then 20k have a fire marshall. This is some bunk and the fleecing of the taxpayers!! Just more of the Southern Utah good ole boy crap, truely pathetic!
Maybe they should get GPS in the firetrucks because they sat up the street from me for almost 5 minutes looking for an apartment building that is located at the opposite end of the street and the address is clearly marked.
Maybe they were told to stage in the area and waiting for the police to give them the okay to come in
Some people are more interested in finding fault, than they are in hearing logic. I’m sure Kathy is one of those who can always tell other folks how to do their jobs and live their lives, because she “knows best.”
At least they’re on top of disciplining cops who step outside of their boundaries, which is rarely seen these days.
Hey, tell us more! I’d like to hear about it, seriously!
Ofc. Jeff christensen apparently got “the boot. ” he couldn’t handle his favoritism issues and has plenty of emotional problems which is a potent combination for cops to have nowadays, but I could be wrong about the reason why he was actually let go, it could have been a number of other things. He had lied on his post application several years earlier when he first arrived in Washington city which then suspended him for 2 years.
I’d like to logically hear why a city the size of Washington needs a fire marshall? This new position is bogus and a waste of the taxpayers money. So let’s get on with the logic of why this is needed!
That is a very good point, Ken. Now I don’t know for sure, but it is my understanding that there is a “county fire marshal.” It would seem to me like the different towns in the county don’t need to have their own.
Do you really think that one individual can do justice to the entire county and all communities that are here?
A county fire marhsal makes sense but not one for a twon of less then 20k people! A typical fleecing by the good ole boy network!!!!
So glad they got rid of that idiot Jeff Christensen, I told them when I went in to pay a ticket he gave me, which I didn’t deserve “I can’t wait to see when he gets fired, it’s going to happen”. Total …
Ed. ellipsis