The Town of Franklin announced the appointment of Justin Setser as the new Fire Chief of Franklin Fire and Rescue. Setser has been serving as the interim Fire Chief since the departure of Ben Ormond in February. Chief Setser will officially assume his full-time duties as Fire Chief on June 5.
With 24 years in fire service, Setser has held multiple positions including captain and assistant chief and has served as incident commander during several major incidents.
Setser has been with Franklin Fire and Rescue for his entire fire service career and has worked for the Town of Franklin as the Town Planner/IT Director for the last 12 years.
“Justin’s background directly aligns with the demands of a modern municipal fire chief. In this role, Setser will oversee planning and implementation of the department’s $1.7 million budget, and lead a team of nine full-time staff and 25-plus volunteer fire fighters. He will direct departmental operations of fire suppression, community risk reduction, as well as supervise safety and emergency preparedness activities and more,” said Town Manager Amie Owens.
Setser will continue to be a key member of the town’s leadership team. His dual perspective will ensure that the fire department remains closely integrated with town-wide initiatives. The town will hire a new Town Planner and outsourcing IT services as part of this transition.
“I am very excited and honored to have been offered the position of the next fire chief of Franklin Fire and Rescue” Setser said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Franklin and working alongside the dedicated firefighters at Franklin. Franklin has had many great fire chiefs, and I hope I can live up to their standards.”