Short-handed Strasburg Fire Department still awaiting new chief
STRASBURG (WJER) (Sept. 4, 2024) – Mayor Bruce Metzger says the fire department is still functioning as it should despite recent resignations.
He met with Interim Chief Maria Boswell before Tuesday’s council meeting and was told things are going well as they prepare to welcome Jason Ely as their new full-time leader.
“And I thanked her for what’s she’s doing and told her to pass it on to the firefighters down there that I appreciate what they’re doing until Jason gets here and gets in place, but there’s really nothing else I can do right now until that happens.”
Not including former chief Steven Laskey, who stepped down at the end of June, the department has lost nine members over the past year. The latest worked one day per month and wrote in her resignation letter that she didn’t feel she could continue to grow her career there due to recent changes.
“I don’t even know her to be honest with you,” Metzger said. “I read the same thing, too, but when I go back and look at some of these that resigned, some of them were working two days a month.”
“And that was prior to Laskey leaving,” Council President Marty Zehnder added.
Ely was hired on August 6th and was supposed to start two weeks later but didn’t for reasons that Metzger and council discussed behind closed doors at the end of Tuesday’s meeting. We don’t know the reason for the delay, only that Ely is scheduled to undergo a physical exam on Monday.