The City of Ankeny is pleased to announce Vance Swisher has been named the new fire chief. Swisher replaces James Clack who served as the Ankeny fire chief for the past eight years and retired in December. Swisher will begin work Feb. 20.
Swisher has 27 years of varied experience in fire administration. Specifically, he is currently serving as deputy fire chief for the City of Rochester, Minnesota, where he has been employed since 1999. He has been the deputy chief since 2010 and previously served as fire marshal and deputy director of emergency management. Prior to this service, he served for several years in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Fire Department.
“Chief Swisher has an impressive fire background along with his leadership skills. I am confident he is very capable of providing the type of leadership and management needed to keep the Ankeny Fire Department moving forward as our community continues to grow,” says Ankeny City Manager David Jones.
Swisher has considerable specialized experience, including supervision of all divisions in the Rochester Fire Department. He also simultaneously serves as fire chief of the Stewartville, Minnesota (Volunteer) Fire Department, where he has served for 18 years in multiple ranks.
"I am excited about the opportunity to join the Ankeny Fire Department and am looking forward to working with a quality group of individuals as we continue to be a model of excellence for the community," said Vance Swisher.
Swisher has a Master’s degree in Fire and Emergency Management Administration from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology—Fire Protection and Safety Technology. He also attained his Executive Fire Officer and Chief Fire Officer certifications from the National Fire Academy and Commission on Professional Credentialing/Center for Public Safety Excellence, respectively.