The Salem Fire Protection District has a new chief and assistant chief.
The Board of Trustees Friday afternoon announced the promotion of Assistant Chief James Cerny to the Chief’s position replacing the recently retired Dave Duncan. Current Fire Marshal Bill Fulton will become assistant chief while continuing to serve as Fire Marshall.
Cerny has been a member of the Salem Fire Protection District since 1980. He began as a firefighter and rose through the positions of lieutenant, captain, deputy assistant chief, and then assistant chief before his new appointment as chief on Friday.
“I plan on continuing the traditions of the Salem Fire Protection District, a service to our constituents. I also want to make sure we keep our people well trained so they can do their jobs and do it safely.”
And as far as other goals are concerned.
“We just got a brand new engine and put it into service. We want to make sure we continue to get that ready for us to use and we get accustomed to it. We’ve only made three, maybe four runs with it, so far.”
Fulton joined the Fire Protection District in 1996 as a firefighter and rose through the ranks as a lieutenant, captain, and then has served the last 13 years as District Fire Marshal.
“My main job is going to be to support Chief Jim Cerny and whatever he needs and so forth. We deal with the members of our department and keeping, again a well-trained department and keeping our standards as high as they have been with the people who have gone before us. That is a big deal for us. We are moving forward and we want to keep continue moving forward.”
Fulton says he has some other plans in mind that will be released later. Both thanked the Fire Protection District’s Board of Trustees for their confidence in appointing them to their new positions.
Duncan retired effective last Tuesday completing a 48-year career at the Salem Fire Protection District.
