The first woman to serve as fire chief in Lompoc started her new position on Monday.
Alicia Welch has 29-years of experience in firefighting and was the fire chief for the city of Golden, Colorado before making the move to Lompoc.
Chief Welch says one of her main goals is to keep the community informed about how to respond if a wildfire threatens the area.
"What I want to do is build out this fire department with all the resources that it needs so that we can meet the demands that this community expects of us," she said.
A badge-pinning and swearing-in ceremony for Welch will take place during the Lompoc City Council meeting next Tuesday, August 17.
Welch replaces Gerald Kuras who retired as the city's fire chief last year.
