(Seguin) — As Guadalupe County crews responded last week to heavy rains and rising creeks, a newly hired fire administrator was already busy coordinating emergency operations behind the scnees.
Aaron Ward is the county’s newest Division Chief for Guadalupe County Fire Rescue.
Patrick Pinder, Guadalupe County emergency management coordinator and fire marshal says Ward will oversee the department’s daily operations while also supporting firefighters and coordinating emergency response efforts across the county.
Pinder says the new position places Ward third in command with the county’s fire structure, reporting directly to Assistant Fire Marshal/EMC Bryce Houlton.
“Aaron Ward is the new Division Chief of Guadalupe County Fire Rescue, and his duties are kind of just to oversee the daily operations of Guadalupe County Fire Rescue. He’s out there to support the staff and kind of make sure the operations run smoothly in incidents like we had yesterday,” said Pinder.
Pinder says Ward brings nearly two decades of fire service experience to Guadalupe County.
Pinder says that background made Ward the top choice during what he says was an extensive hiring process.
“Aaron brings a knowledge of administrative experience. His previous role was with the City of Selma as the fire marshal. His background has experience in ESDs. He was with the City of Houston for a little bit. He’s got almost 20 years of fire service, so he’s going to bring a wealth of knowledge to the area and a new perspective of fire service professionalism to the county,” said Pinder.
As for his selection, Pinder says the county intentionally sought someone from outside the organization to provide a fresh perspective.
“He’s an outside person looking in. We wanted to make sure that we had that perspective. We went through an extensive process of applications, interviews, and testing just to make sure that we found the right candidate. Aaron is the one that came out on top,” said Pinder.
Ward’s addition to the county fire marshal’s office is among the many steps being taken in addressing the county’s rapid growth and the addition of facilities including the current construction of Guadalupe County’s Fire Rescue Station 71.