West Point has a new fire chief.
City selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to approve 25-year department veteran Ken Wilbourne as the department’s new chief. Wilbourne, 49, has been with the department since 1990. He has been a battalion chief since 2001.
“I’m very humbled,” Wilbourne said. “The next step is to continue moving forward from the progress we’ve made in the 25 years I’ve been here and the progress we’ve made before then. I’d put our department up against any other in the state.”
The fire department has been without a chief since the retirement of Johnny Littlefield, who passed away in November. Wilbourne said the department has been running well in the interim.
Wilbourne joined the department after graduating from Mississippi State University with a degree in business administration and finance. He has been a fire fighter since 1985.
Wilbourne hopes to grow the department alongside the city. In the short term, there will be a series of promotions and at least one new hire for the department. Wilbourne said he has interviewed multiple qualified candidates.
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