NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News has a new permanent fire chief.
Chief Wesley Rogers has worked at the department for nearly two decades and has served as interim chief for the past year. As of Monday, he’s taken on the role officially.
Chief Rogers sat down with 13News Now Wednesday and laid out his goals for the department.
The chief said one of his main goals is firefighter recruitment.
“I think all fire departments within the region, and that includes police departments," Chief Rogers said. "It’s a public safety issue that we’re just short manpower, short staffing.”
The Newport News Fire Department is currently allotted 339 firefighters, according to Rogers. However, Rogers said he’d like to see that number increase, so his current staff won’t have to work too much overtime.
“We want to make sure that they’re good mental health, good home life and a good work-life balance," he said. "The way to do that is we want to get them here for their set shifts, and if there’s a possibility of working overtime one or two days a month, we want to keep that a minimum.”
Additionally, Chief Rogers said he wants to hire staff that represent the community they serve.
“That’s where we get creativity, innovation and those things that lead the fire department. So, we want to make sure we’re not only recruiting, but we’re recruiting a diverse workforce as we move forward," he said.
Chief Rogers also wants to put an emphasis on firefighters’ mental and physical health through peer support programs and increased cancer screenings.