Bashaw Council has accepted the application presented by Jordan Lee as Fire Chief for the Town of Bashaw.
Lee brings a bounty of experience to the table that council found resourceful, coupled with his connection to the town.
He has been a firefighter with the Bashaw Fire Department for eight years, being deputy chief for the past five.
The new chief has a plethora of courses in both medical and fire emergency fields. On top of that, Lee has a drive to create higher standards for his volunteer crew as well as the town and short and long-term goals focused on procedure and attitude.
“I’m looking forward to taking over the administration side. I do have a lot of goals I want to accomplish in town and I want to work towards prevention and safety through every aspect of the whole town,” said Lee.
Dustin Hemingston is appointed as Deputy Chief.
Over the past few months, Lee has been implementing a new instant command and accountability system that is used as ground zero for everyone to use.
In an ideal world, as Lee explained, the fire chief would never help with an actual fire but within a small town with a lower number of volunteers, the situation is always there.
“I want to do as much as I can but I want to have everybody trained,” said Lee. “Sometimes we have four people on a call and sometimes we have 15. We have to be adaptable.”
Equipment will also be a top priority. Council is allocating $20,000 towards the purchase of a new truck. Lee wishes to set a goal to fundraise for more money with a timeline of approximately two years before shopping for the perfect piece of machinery.
The new fire chief wants to see the department in service as much as possible to serve the community better.
As part of the town, major decisions will be given from council but as for management of the department, Lee will be running the show.
“I like to set goals and keep on top of them,” said Lee.