 Chief of the Department
The Chief of the West Chester Fire Department serves a 3 year term and is rotated between the First West Chester, Goodwill, and Fame Fire Companies. The Chief is not only charged with coordinating fire crews at emergencies, but oversees many administrative duties such as the Department's budget and serving as a liaison between the Department and the municipalities. Like all other positions within the department, the position of Fire Chief is 100% volunteer.
The current Fire Chief, Mark Scanlon, is from Fame Fire Company. Chief Scanlon took office on January 1st, 2024, at the end of Past Chief Pelna's term.
Chief Scanlon joined the department in 2005, beginning as a firefighter and rose through the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Fire Chief.
Past Chiefs of the Department
* Denotes from First West Chester
| Thomas P. Apple |
1883-1894 |
|
Ralph Watson, Jr |
1968-1970 |
| Plummer E. Jefferis |
1885-1900 |
|
J. Herbert Chambers, Jr * |
1971-1973 |
| Fred Heed, Sr |
1900-1905 |
|
Phil Giunta |
1974-1976 |
| Henry R. Guss, Jr * |
1905-1910 |
|
Steve Conway |
1977-1979 |
| William Middleton |
1910-1915 |
|
Walter S. Mitchell, Jr * |
1980-1982 |
| Harry J. Griffith |
1915-1920 |
|
Robert Brice |
1983-1985 |
| Roscoe Woodward* |
1920-1922 |
|
James Petrondi |
1986-1987 |
| Charles Frame * |
1922-1925 |
|
Donald Herb, Jr * |
1988-1990 |
| William Huber |
1925-1930 |
|
James Higgins |
1991-1993 |
| George J. Moses |
1930-1934 |
|
David Smiley |
1994-1996 |
| William Ingram * |
1935-1937 |
|
Fred Criscuolo * |
1997-1998 |
| William Finegan |
1938-1940 |
|
Kevin Corcoran |
1998-2000 |
| Ralph B. Watson, Sr |
1941-1943 |
|
John Brill |
2000-2002 |
| J. Herbert Chambers, Sr * |
1944-1946 |
|
Sean Mitchell * |
2003-2005 |
| Herbert Andress |
1947-1949 |
|
Mark McCarthy |
2006-2008 |
| Winfield Slaughter |
1950-1952 |
|
Michael Cotter |
2009-2011 |
| E.F. Cosgriff* |
1953-1955 |
|
Dale V. McClure * |
2012-2014 |
| Herbert Aomon |
1956-1958 |
|
Michael McDonald |
2015-2017 |
| Frank Still |
1959-1961 |
|
Jonathan Stafford |
2018-2020 |
| John A. McClain * |
1962-1964 |
|
Steve Pelna * |
2021-2023 |
| Raymond Street |
1965-1967 |
|
Mark Scanlon |
2024-Present |
|
