Selection of new chief announced on Tuesday
The Lefthand Fire Protection District has a new leader at its helm.
Chris O’brien was appointed as the district’s newest chief, after the district’s board of directors unanimously voted for O’brien to fill the role, according to a Lefthand Fire Protection District news release.
“I’m honored to have been selected as the next chief of Lefthand,” O’brien wrote in an email. “Each Chief has helped to bring us to where we are today, and I’m excited to be working with the officers group and our membership to advance our personnel development, our wildland, mitigation and our overall response programs.”
The release said that O’brien will replace Russell Leadingham, who has served as deputy chief for the past nine years.
As chief officer, O’brien will be responsible for the day-to-day administration and operation of the fire district, and will oversee approximately 40 paid and volunteer firefighters, according to the release. By the end of 2021, it is anticipated that O’brien and staf f will occupy offices in the new fire station under construction on Lefthand Canyon Drive, the release said.
The release said that O’brien previously served in various positions with Boulder Rural Fire Department, and he currently lives in Jamestown with his wife, Jen. O’brien also earned the title of executive fire officer from the prestigious National Fire Academy, a federally operated school to enhance the abilities of fire and emergency ser vices. The executive fire of fice title is one that only a few firefighters have achieved in the Denver and Boulder metro area.
The Lefthand Fire Protection District serves roughly 1,500 residents across 52-square-miles of rural north central Boulder County, according to the district’s Facebook page.
O’brien said he sees a bright future ahead for the district.
“We’re looking forward to continued growth as an agency, and continuing to improve the ser vice we provide our residents, and, working closely with our adjacent agencies here in Boulder County to provide seamless suppor t to the citizens in their time of need,” he wrote.