Robert Barteck has been appointed as the fire chief for the Wausau Fire Department. Barteck was appointed interim fire chief on April 2, after the retirement of Chief Tracey Kujawa. He joined the Wausau Fire Department in 2019 as a deputy chief. “We are thankful for a great internal candidate who is well-positioned to continue leading a best in class fire department for the City of Wausau,” said Police and Fire Commissioner Kathy Strasser. Barteck grew up in Owen and credits his father Noel’s selfless service as a volunteer firefighter/EMT-basic on the Owen-Withee-Curtiss Fire Department for inspiring him to pursue a career serving others. Barteck graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in 1993 with an A.S. in Fire Protection Technician. While studying there he interned for one school year at the Oshkosh Fire Department, a role he acknowledges as pivotal for his career path.