The Abbeville Fire Chief has retired.
Mayor Roslyn White made the announcement via a Facebook post Wednesday morning. You can see the post by scrolling down.
In the post, the Mayor says that Fire Chief Jude Mire has retired after more than 36 years of service to the Abbeville Fire Department and the community.
While the Civil Service process of evaluating applications, testing and selection proceeds, Doris Langlinais Jr. will serve as temporary chief, the mayor writes.
The retirement of Mire and appointment of Langlinais took effect on December 18, the mayor writes.
Abbeville is "grateful for his leadership and wish him the very best in his retirement," the mayor writes about Mire.
"Like many small communities, Abbeville faces unique challenges in continuing to provide reliable and high-quality fire protection services. These challenges include rising equipment and training costs, staffing and recruitment pressures, evolving emergency response demands, and the need to balance fiscal responsibility with public safety expectations. Addressing these realities requires careful planning, strong leadership, and a long-term vision for the department," the post states.
"In a community our size, every decision matters. To continue providing reliable and professional fire services, we must be intentional about how we plan for the future. This transition period gives us the opportunity to ensure stability today while preparing the department to meet tomorrow's challenges," the post continues.
Langlinais "has a strong understanding of both the department's traditions and its future needs," the post states. "Chief Langlinais is well prepared to lead during this transition. He understands the importance of maintaining dependable emergency response today while continuing to invest in training, equipment readiness, and personnel development for the future."
Here's the full post:
