It’s been about two weeks so far on the job for David Sturgeon, the new Strathmore Fire Department Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management. Sturgeon was introduced to the town during the Strathmore Town Council meeting on Wednesday.

Sturgeon has been a firefighter for about 17 years, over which time he has held a number of positions for example as a chief officer.

When asked how he feels about his new position he said, “Really good, I’ve been a Fire Chief for a while in other jurisdictions as well as the Protective Services Manager, which is more of a director role, but I really wanted to get back into the operations and this seemed like a really good fit.”

Of Strathmore’s Fire Department he said, “The group here is very well trained and dedicated to the town, and so I'm looking forward to helping them with their strategic long-term vision.”

Sturgeon explained that on an ongoing basis the fire department is trying to educate the public on the topics of fire safety and the use of carbon monoxide alarms.

“It's known as the silent killer, so that's the big one for us is to get the word out. Have a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your house and test them regularly,” he said. He says if residents want to get more information, they are always welcome to call the fire hall.

As the Christmas season approaches residents should also be aware of the risk of fires while using live or artificial Christmas trees and the importance of watering real Christmas trees.

“Obviously with the introduction of LEDs there's less chance, but there's always a chance that we have some fires during Christmas.”

About his experience in Strathmore so far, the new Chief says, “We moved in actually just the Friday before November 1st and as soon as we got to the house the neighbors came out and greeted us. People drove by and stopped and said welcome.” That was right before Halloween and their son had already been invited to a local Halloween party.

“Everybody's been super welcoming and just asking if we need anything, and where to find certain things in town, so it's been very good. Everybody's been welcoming and super accommodating.”