Majchrzak to Succeed Linaburg as Fire and Rescue Chief
WINCHESTER, VA, August 21, 2020: Frederick County is pleased to announce Assistant Chief Steve Majchrzak (pronounced My-Shack) will succeed Chief Dennis Linaburg as System Chief of the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Department. Chief Linaburg previously announced his retirement effective January 1, 2021.
Assistant Chief Majchrzak joined the department in 2019. Previously he was the Executive Director of the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy where he directed the work of over 100 full and part-time instructors and staff who provide 1,100 classes to over 15,000 firefighters and code officials annually. Steve has over 20 years of successful senior management and leadership experience and has dealt with a full range of business issues from human resources, budgeting, capital improvement projects, information technology, public affairs, and governmental relations.
“Naming Steve as Fire Chief is a solid succession plan for our Fire and Rescue Department,” according to Board of Supervisors Chairman Charles DeHaven. “He came in strong and has continued to build relationships and strategies for the future. We are fortunate to have him.”
An extensive search was done for the Assistant Chief position and Majchrzak emerged as a top candidate due to his management and leadership experience and his understanding of the combined system of career staff and volunteer members. County Administrator Kris Tierney said, “during the search for the Assistant Chief, we were cognizant of Chief Linaburg’s years of service and it was our hope to find someone that could step into the role of Chief when needed. Steve was the stand-out applicant and he has proven himself to be an extremely valuable member of the Fire and Rescue leadership team, building a strong working relationship with both our paid staff and volunteer community.”
Majchrzak served in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance/State Fire Marshal's Office for a total of 12 years, where he originally served as the Assistant Commissioner for Administration. He left the department as the Deputy Commissioner/Chief Operating Officer to take advantage of the unique opportunity to serve as one of the three initial company officers/shift commanders tasked with starting the newly created career staff within the Rutherford County Fire Rescue (RCFR) – an all-hazards combination fire rescue department.
Don Jackson, Chairman of the Chief’s Working Group, said, “Chief Majchrzak is the right man for the job. He brings with him the experience of both working for a combination system, as well as volunteering in a combination system. I have worked with him on several projects including Chapter 89 of the County Code. We have many challenges ahead of us in the very near future and I believe Chief Majchrzak has what it takes to lead us successfully through those challenges.”
Dan Cunningham, President of the Fire and Rescue Association, is pleased to see Assistant Chief Majchrzak become Chief: “The Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association has worked very hard with the Fire and Rescue Department to create a system that provides Fire and Rescue services to the citizens of Frederick County. Chief Majchrzak has brought very good ideas to the table and helped facilitate an open dialogue. The Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association looks forward to working together with Chief Majchrzak to continue building a system that will provide outstanding fire and rescue service to Frederick County.”
Among his experience, Majchrzak led the day-to-day operations of the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office. After two years serving as the acting head of the State Fire Academy and leading a significant restructuring of operations, he was named Executive Director in 2018. Majchrzak holds fifteen state and national certifications including Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor II, Fire Incident Safety Officer, and Fire Inspector and Fire Investigator. Additionally, he is a Virginia and Tennessee state-certified Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and holds a technical rescue certification in Swiftwater Rescue. He served as the state-wide Emergency Services Coordinator for ESF-4 (Firefighting) with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and was part of the State's initial effort to build Type III Incident Management Teams to provide aid during large scale incidents. He served as one of six members of the Tennessee All-Hazard Incident Management Team Governance Committee which establishes overall direction for Tennessee's All-Hazard Incident Management program and is a member of the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association.
Chief Linaburg is pleased with the announcement saying, “I am pleased to offer my endorsement of Assistant Chief Steven Majchrzak to be the next Fire and Rescue Chief. Steve has had great successes since joining us, has demonstrated phenomenal leadership and is well respected by the volunteers and the staff. I am confident that Chief Majchrzak will build upon our achievements.”
Linaburg and Majchrzak will spend the next several months continuing to work closely to assure a smooth transition.
In accepting the position, Majchrzak stated, “I am humbled by the support of Chief Linaburg, our volunteer leaders, and County leadership. We have an amazing combined system here in Frederick County and we are fortunate to enjoy very strong community support. Our success is ultimately based on the selfless work of our first responders in the field who protect the community in often challenging circumstances. I look forward to the challenge of leading this system and working with all those involved to assure our men and women have the support, training and resources needed to be successful.”
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