Chatham-Kent will soon have a new but familiar face running the fire department.
Assistant Chief Chris Case will take over as fire chief starting on December 6. Case will be replacing outgoing Fire Chief Bob Crawford, who announced his intention to retire back in July.
“Among a large group of capable applicants, [Case] emerged as the best candidate to lead the fire service into the future,” said John Norton, general manager of community development. “I have observed Chief Case for several years now and I know that he has the respect of his peers, firefighters, and the wider community.”
Case, who has 28 years of experience in fire services, moved to Chatham-Kent from Liverpool and started working with the municipal fire department in 2016. While in Liverpool, Case formed the United Kingdom's only dedicated fire and explosives task force to deal with arson and explosives crime, according to a release sent from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
“Since arriving in this wonderful community over three years ago, I have enjoyed every day serving alongside our outstanding firefighters to safeguard the communities of Chatham-Kent. I am lucky enough to have an outstanding team here at work and at home," Case said in a statement. "The endless support from my family and the teams at CK Fire has made this next step in my career possible. I cannot express how thankful I am for this opportunity and how much I am looking forward to being your fire chief.”
In the meantime, Crawford will receive a formal send-off in December. He has been involved in fire services for 41 years and spent 18 years with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.