An experienced firefighter was sworn in Monday as the Portage Fire Department’s new engineer. In the Common Council chambers of the Portage Municipal Building, in front of an audience of firefighters, law enforcement, family and city officials, Fire Chief Clayton Simonson Jr. introduced Capt. Matthew Asch, 40, as the department’s new engineer. “The last time we did one of these was Aug. 16 of 1996 with Mark Bublitz,” Simonson told the group. Bublitz, one of four engineers, has since become president of the firefighter engineers union. Simonson presented Asch with new headgear, a spotless black engineer’s helmet to replace his red captain’s helmet.