Waite Park City Council Officially Votes In New Fire Chief

(KNSI) – A new era has officially begun for the Waite Park Fire Department.

That era began with a unanimous vote by the city council at its meeting Monday, June 15, when members voted to swear in Shawn Downs as the department’s first-ever full-time fire chief.

Historically, the city’s fire department has employed firefighters only on an on-call, part-time basis. City Administrator Shaunna Johnson said the demands on the city’s fire service have exceeded what part-time firefighters can handle. She noted that recruiting and retaining newer firefighters has been a significant challenge in recent years, adding that volunteer firefighters have also become harder to find.

“There’s a lot of administrative work that comes into it. There are more training requirements for firefighters because everything needs to be documented. Budgets have become more complicated, and recruitment and retention have been a challenge.”

Downs has nearly three decades of firefighting experience in both a volunteer and full-time capacity. Originally a volunteer with the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department in 1998, he became the department’s chief in 2012. Downs has also served as a deputy fire chief for the District of Columbia Fire Department.

“We had five very qualified candidates, but Shawn comes to us with three decades of experience from both full-time and volunteer fire service, so he understands the area,” Johnson said. “He’s very energetic and excited to get here. We’re very excited to bring him on board.”

Downs will officially assume the position on July 1 and is currently relocating from Maryland to Waite Park. As part of his compensation package, he will receive up to $10,000 in moving expenses, including detailed receipts for meals, lodging and transportation.

With Downs moving into the full-time fire chief role, current Fire Chief Jim Aleshire will move to 1st Assistant Fire Chief, while Assistant Fire Chief Jason Urzi will move to 2nd Assistant Fire Chief. Compensation for both positions will remain the same. Should Aleshire choose to retire, the 1st Assistant Chief position would be eliminated, with Urzi transitioning into the assistant chief role.

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