Lake Travis Fire Rescue appoints interim chief

"LTFR must prepare for this, or the community will suffer," Linardos said.

Board President Barker F. Keith II also said that LTFR has tough challenges ahead of it, but interim Fire Chief Abbott has the experience and confidence of the organization to work with the board and community to assure that the community will still receive the same great level of service.

Abbott has been in the fire service for 17 years, 16 of which have been with the LTFR. He started as a firefighter and worked his way up the ranks and became the assistant chief in 2004. He continues to maintain his operational certifications, including his paramedic certification, and is excited about the opportunity to continue what Linardos has done, he said.

"There are a lot of people who want to be in my position," Abbott said. "[Linardos] is leaving us in a good place. I know my role, and right now that is my focus, and I will go from there.

"While I will be one of the first people to commend Chief Linardos for his style of management, it has been his leadership in building teams, both internal and external to the organization, that I will remember most of his tenure here. He brought groups of people with opposing agendas to the table to work towards improving our overall performance as public safety providers at all levels."

Abbott will continue to deliver the quality service everyone has come to expect, and, when the time comes, will consider applying for the job on a non-interim basis, he said.