The new Pella Fire Chief has been officially elected to a two-year term, and Randy Bogaard will be the first new leader of the department since 2005. Bogaard is thankful to have served under outgoing Chief Van Gorkom, and believes his emphasis on safety was critical to the success of their mission and to keeping firefighters out of harm’s way whenever possible. Van Gorkom says making sure his entire team made it to and from a scene safely was always top of mind. The white “700” helmet was passed on from Doug to Randy at the Pella Fire Department’s meeting Thursday. New officers were elected by the group, which will be formally approved by the Pella City Council at a future meeting.

Click here to listen to an interview about the transition of the Pella Fire Chief.