Graglia to Fill New Assistant Chief Position in Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department

Lou Graglia, a 20-year veteran of the , has been chosen to fill the newly-created position of assistant chief for 2012.

Graglia was elected by members of the department in September and was sworn in to his new position at the township's on January 1. He was previously the deputy chief of Company 2.

"I'm looking forward to working with Chief Rose, and also the officers of the three companies to make our department even better than it is," Graglia said. "I find it a privilege to be a part of this team."

According to department Chief Mike Rose, Wyckoff has not had an assistant fire chief since the 1950s, when the department was restructured and the deputy chief positions were created. Each of the department's three companies has a deputy chief.

Rose told Patch the title was brought back to help with regular department business like budgeting and making purchases, while also preparing potential future chiefs. Wyckoff was one of the only towns in the area that did not have an assistant chief.

"He's an excellent selection," Rose said, referring to Graglia. "We'll work very closely together. It's a good stepping stone in training for the day-to-day operations of the department."

In addition, the position was created here with an eye toward the future.

"While this position will not serve as an automatic step to the chief of department position, our thought is that the assistant chief position will prepare a future chief and it will ensure that we have properly trained our future leaders," Rose said.

The Wyckoff Fire Department responded to 689 calls last year, a record for the township.