On Sept. 4, a new fire chief took over the Klein Fire Department after being selected by Emergency Services District No. 16’s board of commissioners, according to a Sept. 1 news release from the department.

In a nutshell

Jason Catrambone is replacing interim Fire Chief Mike Montgomery in the wake of Montgomery’s retirement, per the release. Catrambone has 20 years of experience in fire departments in Florida and North Dakota. He was chosen for the KFD chief position following a nationwide search conducted by an agency hired by ESD 16.

What they're saying

“We as a board are excited to welcome Chief Catrambone to the ESD 16/KFD family. His experience and knowledge will help with our mission of taking things to the next level. We are looking forward to the future and him being a part of it,” ESD 16 Commissioner Lance Wilson said in a statement.

The takeaway

As KFD chief, Catrambone’s duties include:

• Leading day-to-day operations and staff at the department
• Overseeing community risk reduction operations

The background

The KFD has 200 members and serves a community of about 175,000 residents, according to the news release. Emergency calls responded to by the KFD have increased 53% since 2019.