The Queen Creek Fire & Medical Department (QCFMD) recently celebrated the promotion of seven employees with a badge-pinning ceremony, including naming a new Deputy Chief.

Matthew Skowron has been promoted to Deputy Chief at QCFMD. Skowron started with QCFMD as a firefighter when the department was established in 2008. He is a third-generation firefighter who was born and raised in Queen Creek.

“I am honored and excited for this opportunity to be able to serve the residents of Queen Creek. It’s been exciting to watch this department grow, and I am excited to continue to be a part of this growth and help lead and mentor my fellow firefighters,” stated Skowron.

Also receiving new badges and celebrating their promotions were:

Firefighter Keith Lloyd who has been promoted to Battalion Chief (BC). A Battalion Chief is responsible for supervising all Queen Creek fire stations, including the trucks and personnel assigned to those stations. A BC also serves as an incident commander during all fire suppression and medical emergencies.

Firefighters Adam Schoenfeld, Jerry Pajak, and Mike Snell who have been promoted to Captain. A fire captain is responsible for supervising the personnel on every shift, oversees paperwork, fire and physical training activities, and ensures all equipment is in good working order.

Firefighters Luke Ochsenfeld and Cesar Urena, who have been promoted to Engineer. An Engineer is responsible for maintaining and driving the fire engine during high stress situations. Fire engineers have an excellent sense of direction and are acutely familiar with the roadways in their community to ensure the quickest route during an emergency.

“This is a proud moment for me as Chief. I have watched all of these firefighters grow and shine in their respective roles at the fire department. They are all very dedicated hard-working leaders, and I am excited to celebrate this big accomplishment with them in their career,” stated Queen Creek Fire Chief Vance Gray.

For more information about the QCFMD, visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/fire. To stay updated on news and events follow the Town on Facebook.com/QCFire and Twitter.com/TownofQC.