Kristopher Grod is prepared to lead the Sussex Fire Department toward meeting its goal of following industry best standards by 2023. The village's board of fire commissioners on Oct. 28 hired Grod as the new fire chief. He previously served as chief for the village of Kronenwetter — between Stevens Point and Wausau — since May 2019. He was also the associate dean for the school of public safety at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau from July 2016 to July 2020. Commission Chairperson Jeff Knollenberg said Grod stood out among the 20 other applicants because Grod has administrative skills as well as experience as a fire chief. "We are transitioning to having more full-time staff," said Knollenberg, noting that the department has been phasing out its paid-on-call model.