Mayor Rob Rolison formally introduced the new chief of the Poughkeepsie city fire department at a ceremony in city hall on Monday. Navy veteran and 27-year member of the Poughkeepsie Fire Department, Joe Franco has been serving as the department’s acting chief since January of this year.
“Joe Franco brings a wealth of knowledge to the position of fire chief, having risen in the fire department ranks and serving in so many different capacities – command, firefighting, building and code inspections, emergency care among them,” Rolison said. “His experience and knowledge of the community will be invaluable as he takes on this critically important public safety role.”
Franco said he wants to increase the manpower of the 63-member department that responds to nearly 5,000 calls per year.