Names in the News

• JERRY NAYLIS was sworn in as the new chief of the Bergenfield (NJ) Fire Department (BFD) on January 1. Also sworn in that day were new Deputy Chiefs Christopher Saito and Jason Lanzilotti. Naylis takes over as the combination department’s chief for the third time in his 42-year fire service career. Three of Naylis’s sons are also members of the BFD. In 2014, the borough’s combination paid-and-volunteer department responded to 540 calls, 15 of which were fires. The department is responsible for many types of situations including motor vehicle extrications, hazmat incidents, and technical rescues. Naylis is a former book acquisitions editor for Pennwell.

• LARRY COLLINS was named the new chief of the Ann Arbor (MI) Fire Department. Collins had previously served as chief for the Brevard County (FL) Fire Rescue in Florida since 2009 and was a 30-year member of the Dayton (OH) Fire Department, where in retired as its director and chief in 2008. Collins succeeds former Chief Chuck Hubbard, who retired in January of 2014 after serving as chief since 2011.

• ERIC L. PETERSON was named the next chief of the Santa Barbara County (CA) Fire Department (SBCFD). Peterson has worked for the SBCFD for 28 years, where he has served as firefighter, engineer, captain, president of Firefighters Local 2046, training battalion chief, operations battalion chief, fire marshal, and deputy chief. He began his new assignment on February 2. Peterson, who was SBCFD’s deputy chief, was selected after a national search to find a successor to Chief Michael Dyer, who retired in January. Peterson started his career as a firefighter in 1987. He also served as the SBCFD’s union president from 1995 to 2005.