Carroll’s new Fire Chief, Dan Hannasch, is now a month into the new position and is beginning to settle into the new responsibilities. With 30 years of firefighting experience, Hannasch says the fire department side of the transition has gone smoothly. The Carroll Fire Chief position consists of two parts. Seventy percent of the job is focused on department-related issues, and the remainder is serving as the city’s primary building official. Over the last four weeks, much of his time has been spent getting up to speed on building codes and ordinance enforcement. He says he is fortunate to have two great staff members in the building department to rely on.
Hannasch credits his predecessor, Chief Greg Schreck, for running a top-notch department on both sides. Carroll has one of the best volunteer fire departments in the state in terms of equipment, training, facilities, and membership. Hannasch says he is not looking to make any significant changes.
Hannasch adds the Carroll Fire Department has a long history of committed volunteers who are willing to, at a minimum, give up three Mondays per month and respond to calls at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, he says that not all communities enjoy that same sense of volunteerism.
He says the community at large is so supportive of the department as well, especially when new equipment or gear is needed to keep firefighters safe. The full interview with Hannasch from Wednesday morning can be found included below.
