Superior names new fire chief

Nov. 23—SUPERIOR — Superior has named its new fire chief.

The Superior Police and Fire Commission selected current Battalion Chief Camron Vollbrecht for the position during a special closed session on Tuesday, Nov. 22. He will step into the post being vacated by

retiring chief Scott Gordon after Dec. 30.

Gordon called the commission's decision "fantastic news" and said moving Vollbrecht to the chief position will keep the core of the department's six-member management team intact.

"We've been working towards this for over three years, and I'm just ecstatic that the police and fire commission recognize the value in this," Gordon said.

The transition should be a smooth one for both the department and its interactions with the public, he said.

"The rest of the city, professional and public alike, will not notice a difference because the management team has only changed by one person," Gordon said.

The department, which includes 36 union and five nonunion positions, will be getting a well informed chief, Gordon said.

"Cam knows more about being a fire chief than anyone who became fire chief in the history of the fire department ever did, really," Gordon said.

Vollbrecht, who joined the department in 2006, brings confidence, intelligence, integrity and great communications skills to the table, the chief said.

"He is a very smart, well rounded, sharp firefighter. That's why I promoted him the first second I could. I put him in my spot when I became the chief," Gordon said.

Both Vollbrecht and Assistant Fire Chief Howie Huber interviewed for jobs on the Superior Fire Department at the same time.

"They're almost the same age; I hired both of them at the same time," Gordon said.

After back-to-back interviews, Huber and Vollbrecht were ranked number one and two out of the roughly 100 applicants. Gordon recalled one of the senior captains on the interview panel saying: "There's the future of the fire department, right there."

Vollbrecht's first opportunity to shape the department comes in two weeks when he will help determine who will fill his current role as battalion chief. He will step into the chief position when Gordon retires Dec. 30.

It will be a big change for the outgoing chief, who spent 30 years with the Superior Fire Department.

"My whole life is wrapped around the city of Superior Fire Department," Gordon said.

He recently had to create his first personal email account; the only one he's ever had was his fire department email. Gordon said the department has built a reputation for transparency, communication and teamwork.

"People should know that we are going to continue being fantastic. We're going to continue being great. We are a well rounded, progressive and ultimately happy and healthy fire department," Gordon said.

He likened the current management team to a well tuned engine. Each brings their own personality, their own projects, but they work in tandem to push the department forward.

"So all of the cylinders are firing at once, but we're making the truck go down the road," he said. "And in this analogy, it's got to be a fire truck."

This story was updated at 3:40 p.m. Nov. 23 with comments from Superior Fire Chief Scott Gordon. It was originally posted at 2:04 p.m.