Names in the News: October 1, 2023

DEL ORTIZ (top) and RUFUS JACKSON (bottom) were named the new fire chief and assistant public safety director, respectively, for the city of Newark, New Jersey, effective October 1. Jackson was previously the chief of the Newark Fire Division (NFD) and Ortiz previously its battalion chief.

Ortiz joined the NFD in 2002, initially assigned to Engine 11 and Ladder 11, where he worked for 11 years. He was trained as a hazardous materials technician and in various urban search and rescue disciplines. For the past 11 years, he has served as captain and then battalion chief with the NFDs’ Engine 10, Ladder 5, and Rescue 1.

Jackson, a Newark native, is a 28-year NFD member who began his career with the department in 1995, moving up the ranks there to become arson detective in 2002, captain and executive officer of the Newark Arson Squad in 2004, and captain/company officer in 2006. He was appointed as battalion chief and incident commander/operations chief in 2009 and to chief of staff to the fire director in 2010. In 2012, Jackson then became one of the youngest NFD deputy chiefs in history at age 39. He was then promoted to become NFD chief in 2017.

DAVID RANES will take over as the new chief of the Clayton (NC) Fire Department (CFD) on October 16. Ranes is a 30-year fire service veteran, serving 25 of those years in multiple ranks with the Cary (NC) Fire Department, from firefighter to assistant chief.  He is a 2020 graduate of Fayetteville State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fire and emergency service administration. Ranes’ accomplishments also include earning 20 certifications in the field of emergency services. He takes over the position for previous CFD Chief Lee Barbee, who leaves the department after nearly 48 years of service.

JAMES MOLLET will take over as the new chief of the Norway Fire (WI) Department (NFD)—formerly called the Wind Lake Volunteer Fire Company—on October 1. Mollet is a 29-year fire service veteran who arrives in Norway from the Menomonee Falls (WI) Fire Department (MFFD), where he retired two years ago as its interim chief. Mollett joined the MFFD in 2013 as a battalion chief, becoming an assistant chief before being named interim chief in 2019. Mollet was originally sworn in at a ceremony on September 14.

JAMES MARSHALL will take over as the new chief of Lambton Shores Fire and Emergency Services (LSFES) in Ontario, Canada, on October 30. Marshall is an 18-year emergency services veteran who has served in seven different leadership roles. He joins Lambton Shores from the Township of Perth East and the Municipality of West Perth, where he had served under a shared service agreement as the deputy station chief and fire prevention/investigation officer. Marshall succeeds previous LSFES Chief Lawrence Swift, who left the position this past spring.