The City of Indianola is pleased to announce the promotion of Aaron Hurt as Indianola’s next fire chief. He succeeds Greg Chia, who will retire at the end of the year.

Hurt will assume the role and responsibilities as fire chief on December 15, 2024.

“I am honored to serve as the next fire chief,” Hurt said. “Indianola is a vibrant and growing community, and I am excited to work alongside our dedicated team in this new capacity to continue building a proactive and innovative fire department. The Indianola Fire Department is committed to fostering a culture of preparedness, collaboration and service that not only will meet but ultimately exceed the expectations of our community.”

Hurt currently is the training captain with the Indianola Fire Department, a position he’s held since 2018, where he develops and administers fire and EMS training programs. He first joined the department in 2013 as a firefighter/paramedic. Hurt graduated from Waldorf University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and fire science. He is pursing a master’s degree in organizational leadership and public administration.

In addition to his service to the City of Indianola, Hurt has served 19 years with the Pleasantville Emergency Services, most recently as the assistant chief of EMS, and is a council member for the City of Pleasantville, Iowa.

Prior to a comprehensive search and rigorous interview process, Indianola City Manager Ben Reeves gathered input from Indianola Fire Department members to identify key qualifications and attributes required for the fire chief position. After evaluating numerous exceptional candidates, Hurt emerged as the top choice, Reeves said.

“I could not be more thrilled to promote Aaron Hurt to this new level of responsibility,” Reeves said. “He is a proven leader within the department, he has faithfully served our community for many years, and he has the vision and passion to build upon the success of the past and lead the Indianola Fire Department forward.”

The fire chief leads and manages all activities of the Indianola Fire Department, including fire suppression, hazardous materials management, emergency medical services and administrative support. The department covers approximately 125 square miles of territory in the center of Warren County, Iowa.

*the information in this story was a press release from the City of Indianola.