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Durango Fire hires new chief

Doughty

The Durango Fire Protection District Board chose a new fire chief to succeed Dan Noonan: Deputy Chief Hal Doughty.

Doughty, who served in the Air Force as a military firefighter for four years after high school, began his career as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Middletown, Maryland.

He spent the bulk of his career at the Farmington Fire Department, where he worked for 20 years, retiring as battalion chief in August 2009 in order to accept Noonan’s job offer as the department’s lead operational chief with the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority, which later became one of three agencies forming the Durango Fire Protection District.

While in Farmington, Doughty was instrumental in building the Fire Science program at San Juan College, according to a DFPD news release.

“He is excited to have the opportunity to serve the community in and around Durango and looks forward to leading the men and women that make Durango Fire Protection District an outstanding public service agency,” the release said.

Doughty will replace Noonan at the close of 2015. His election by the board of directors was unanimous.

As the department’s operational chief, Doughty provides day-to-day oversight of the agency’s all-risk, emergency and nonemergency services. He also assures the training and the overall safety of firefighters and medics.

In the release, Noonan said, “Deputy Chief Doughty has worked diligently and professionally over the last five years in preparation for the opportunity to become chief. He possesses the passion, dedication, knowledge and working relationships necessary to be successful in leading Durango Fire Rescue into the future. He also has earned the respect of his fellow firefighters/medics and its community leaders.”

For more information, contact Kathy Morris, vice president of the DFPD board, at morriskh@durangofirerescue.org or 799-0681.

cmcallister@ durangoherald.com



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