DOWNEY - Former fire captain Ed Haupt, a 25-year veteran of the Downey Fire Department, has been promoted to battalion chief, effective Feb. 20, city officials announced on Wednesday.The battalion chief position is one of three that are assigned to the Suppression Division of the fire department. As battalion chief, Haupt will lead an entire shift of 20 firefighting personnel. "The city of Downey is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of fire department personnel and I congratulate Mr. Haupt on his promotion," said Mayor Luis Marquez. "The many years of knowledge and expertise that Mr. Haupt brings to his new position is sure to be an asset to the department." The battalion chief has administrative duties and also assumes the incident commander role when responding to emergencies. Haupt will be responsible for the Operations Division, coordinating the many facets of required training curriculum for all disciplines, including firefighting, urban search and rescue, terrorism and hazardous materials response. "Chief Haput has been a proven leader for the city of Downey for 25 years. I am confident that his depth of experience, values, strong commitment along with his leadership will prove to be a tremendous asset at the battalion chief level," said Fire Chief Lonnie Croom. Mayor Pro Tem Roger Brossmer also praised Haupt's promotion. "I wish to congratulate Mr. Haupt on his promotion and I am confident that his leadership in this new position will continue to enhance the department's valuable services," he said. "We are fortunate to have our own police and fire departments and even more so, to have such a committed group of people working to keep our community safe." Firefighter Dan Hurlock has been promoted to captain and will take on Haupt's former responsibilities.

********** Published: February 24, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 45