Springfield names new fire chief

Barry Rowell has replaced Fire Chief Dan Whisler, who retired on Friday. Rowell served as assistant fire chief since 2004.

Rowell joined the Springfield department as a firefighter in 1985. Since then, he has held a number of roles, including rescue salvage specialist, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant chief of technical services, fire accreditation manager and assistant chief of operations.

Rowell coordinated the department’s response to the January ice storm, and he was a Federal Emergency Management Agency community relations representative in 2005 to help Hurricane Katrina victims relocate to Texas.

“I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity,” Rowell said in a news release. “Chief Dan Whisler’s planning and guidance will go a long way toward making this transition as smooth as possible.”