SANFORD — There’s a new chief at the Sanford Fire Department ”“ and residents are likely to recognize him.

Jeffrey H. Rowe, Sanford’s assistant chief since 2003, formally took the helm of the department Tuesday when the Town Council unanimously confirmed Town Manager Mark Green’s appointment.

“This is one of the easiest appointments I’ve ever had to make,” Green told the council.

Rowe, 53, had been acting chief since Raymond Parent announced his retirement late last year.

Rowe thanked the council for confirming his appointment.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” said Rowe, who then gave a nod to the “wonderful group of firefighters” he said he’ll be pleased to lead. He also thanked Parent for his tutelage.

“He gave me a good opportunity to get my feet wet, and I’m going in with my eyes open,” said Rowe, of Parent.

Rowe comes to the job with seven years as assistant chief under his belt, 11 years as a captain and 10 years as a lieutenant ”“ all with Sanford Fire Department.

Born in Ogunquit, the Kennebunk resident said he became a volunteer junior firefighter in 1972 or 1973.

As a young man in Ogunquit in the 1970s, being a junior firefighter “was just one of those things you did,” said Rowe.

From that initial step, firefighting became a career. Rowe went to college in Oklahoma, where he studied fire protection and safety engineering and worked summers at the Wells Beach Fire Department.

He started at Sanford Fire Department as a medic in 1977 and then left to work at the Durham-UNH Fire Department and then at South Portland Fire Department. Following a brief civilian stint at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, he returned to Sanford Fire Department in 1982.

As chief, he’ll be the leader of a firefighting and emergency medical staff that includes an assistant chief’s position, 40 full-time firefighting positions, a training officer, fire marshal and two support staff. There is one full-time firefighting vacancy Rowe said he plans to fill, and he’ll also look to fill the assistant chief’s position.

As well as the full-timers, the Sanford Springvale Call Company currently numbers 20 to 22 volunteer firefighters and more are always welcome, said Rowe.

As an assistant for several years, Rowe was second in command and supervised the operations, training, public education and inspection divisions of the fire department. In conjunction with the chief, he helped write the department budget, helped create and institute policies and procedures and among other tasks, was in command then the chief was away.

Aside from his boots-on-the-ground experience, the new chief has been involved with a lengthy list of organizations, from memberships in county, state and national fire chiefs associations to the Small Woodlot Association of Maine. He was a selectman in Ogunquit from 1980-82 and was named to the Maine Emergency Medical Services Board by former Gov. John Baldacci in 2010.

One of the stints he said he particularly enjoyed was as a volunteer at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. Rowe had attended the conference as part of his job, but several years ago departmental funds for it dried up. When he looked for another way to attend, he landed the temporary annual position of planning, scheduling and placing 200 pieces of fire apparatus and 900 general exhibitors at the show. He also supervised, hired and negotiated wages for the staff it took to complete that mission.

It was a stint he did for 20 years on his annual vacation. The conference, he said, was huge and is where firefighters learn about new equipment and new techniques.

Green, in a memo to the council, said he saw no need to seek applicants for the fire chief’s job. He said Rowe had the right qualifications and experience to lead the department and that the town could do no better than appoint Rowe as the fire department’s chief.

Rowe will earn about $79,000 annually.

Council Chairman Gordon Paul said Rowe will do well in his new role.

“I congratulate you and welcome you,” said Paul. “We are all very proud of you and know you’ll do a fine job.”

— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.