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CUMBERLAND — In a few days, a new Cumberland fire chief will take office. By a unanimous vote, the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors appointed Stephen “Andy” Aigner at the Tuesday, Nov. 15 meeting. He will begin his duties for the Cumberland County Fire Department on Friday, Dec. 1.

Aigner lives with his family in Amelia Court House and has over 25 years of professional public safety experience. He has previously served as the Chief of Fire and EMS in King William and Isle of Wight Counties and the Director of Fire, EMS, and Emergency Management in Prince George County. He also served at Hanover County Fire and EMS for over 10 years in multiple positions including logistics, the fire marshal’s office and as an operational battalion chief.

He is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management and also a certified fire marshal and is a highly sought-after instructor for fire training programs mainly focusing on volunteer fire academies and is a certified ALS provider.

“This is something that I’ve always done and I know how to do,” said Aigner. “It’s a part of me and my family’s life and it’s ingrained in me. I love the aspect of being able to give back to the community.”

Aigner is a fourth-generation firefighter following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His grandfather was a major influence and would take him along to calls when he was young. The new chief then started volunteering when he was 14 years old.

Cumberland fire chief looks ahead

According to Aigner, as he prepares to take over next week he is thankful for the good foundation that the previous fire chief. He plans to build on this foundation and help the Cumberland County Fire Department move forward.

“Once I get in I plan to talk to volunteers at the individual stations and see what their needs and wants are,” said Aigner. “I know what they need most are volunteers.”

He plans to work with the stations to create a mission statement and create a vision of where they want to be in 10, 15 and 20 years down the road.

Aigner currently works with the Virginia Department of Health as the Central Region Emergency Coordinator where he will maintain full-time employment while working part-time as fire chief. Even though it will be a slow process with his limited time, he hopes to help Cumberland Fire Department move forward.

“I know this will be a challenging endeavor that will take a total team effort to tackle,” said Aigner. “This is a challenge I am ready for and confident that with the help of the volunteer fire chiefs and their departmental members we will be able to handle successfully.”

 

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