Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly has chosen a new chief to lead Aurora Fire Rescue, with the appointment pending confirmation by city council.
Alec Oughton, who is the fire chief of Henrico, County, Va., a suburb of Richmond, has been selected out of four finalists, according to a news release.
Oughton made it through a two-day, in-person finalist interview process with community members, city council members and city management in early January, the city said in a news release.
“Chief Oughton brings a wealth of experience from a similarly sized department, and a similarly sized and diverse portion of the Greater Richmond, Va., area,” Twombly said in the Monday release. “I found his engagement with Aurora community members, council members and me to be authentic and genuine, and I believe he will garner the support of our dedicated fire personnel and the Aurora community. He is committed to our ongoing public safety changes and will add a new perspective to our work.”
If city council confirms the selection at its regular meeting on Monday, Oughton is scheduled to start at Aurora Fire Rescue on March 13, pending finalization of an employment agreement, the release said.
“I am humbled to have been selected to serve the city of Aurora as your fire chief. The pool of candidates was remarkable, and each one brought significant experience, great ideas, and their heart for service to the process,” Oughton said in the release. “I fell in love with this area in 2007, when riding through it as part of a pediatric cancer research fundraiser. It is a beautiful area with amazing people, and I’ve felt a strong pull toward this community since. I truly look forward to connecting with, and caring for, Aurora’s residents and Aurora’s firefighters.”
The other finalists were Richard Davis, assistant chief of the Austin, Texas, Fire Department; Allen Robnett, interim fire chief of Aurora Fire Rescue; and Froilan “Pepper” Valdez, fire chief of the Billings, Mont., Fire Department.
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