Crime & Safety

The New Waukesha Fire Chief Is...

Police and Fire Commission hires an internal candidate to be the next fire chief in Waukesha.

The new chief of the Waukesha Fire Department is Jesse Alba, who is assistant chief at the Waukesha Fire Department.

Fire Chief Allen LaConte announced his retirement from the Waukesha Fire Department in November 2011 after working for the city for 34 years.

His last day was celebrated at the department in early March 2012.

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Alba was among four finalists selected by the Waukesha Police and Fire Commission. Alba started with the Waukesha Fire Department in July 1986.

Alba was selected out of 49 applicants for the fire chief position, PFC Chairwoman Cheryl Gemignani said while making the selection.

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“It was not an easy decision,” she said. “We as a commission take that very seriously."

Alba was present for the decision and thanked the commissioners for the promotion.

“This has been a very difficult process for me, only because I knew that the people were qualified internally and externally for this position were extraordinarily qualified,” Alba said. “I was never a shoe-in, and during the interviews, it was very apparent that there was no shoe-in and there was no automatic guarantee for who this position was going to go too.”

Waukesha Battalion Chief Joe Hoffman, Kenosha Battalion Chief Matthew Haerter and Bolingbrook Fire Chief David Litton were the other three finalists.


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