GREENFIELD — A new fire chief has joined the Greenfield Fire Department, as Jim Langborg was sworn in at the Nov. 13 city council meeting.
Langborg spent the past five years overseeing a fire and ambulance district in Florence, Ore., with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue and Western Lane Ambulance District. Prior to that, he was the fire chief in Templeton, Calif., for a few years.
“My career has kind of gone back and forth between California and the Northwest,” Langborg said. “I started as a paramedic in Santa Clara County many years ago.”
Langborg came across the job for Greenfield Fire Department in a trade journal. His wife urged him to apply because she missed California’s weather, so he turned in his resume and was offered the position.
“It happened really quick,” he said. “I came down, and then after the interview, they made a conditional job offer and then a full offer.”
Langborg’s top objective since joining the Greenfield Fire Department is to work on a strategic plan. He wants to develop the plan while still in the early stages of his career with the department.
Langborg sees a lot of things that need to happen with the fire department through input from his staff and community members.
“I think if we do that, it’s going to give us a good direction to head,” Langborg said. “There’s a lot of things we could be working on.”
Langborg’s first day with the Greenfield Fire Department was Oct. 24.
“The community is very fortunate,” Langborg said. “They have a great group of people who definitely care about the community and the service they provide.”
According to Langborg, the Greenfield Fire Department is about to experience a big transition because there hasn’t been a full-time fire chief.
“Everybody’s kind of got to learn how to work with each other and get used to each other,” he said. “I’m hoping that it is going to go fine. It should.”
