Williston Mayor Howard Klug Taps Clark as New Chief of City’s Fire Department

Williston, ND (KEYZ) Speaking exclusively with 660KEYZ News Radio Thursday, Williston Mayor Howard Klug said he is throwing his support behind Operations Chief Matthew Clark to lead the Williston Fire Department as its next Fire Chief.

"We're going to promote [from] within. We're going to offer the job to Operations Chief Matt Clark," said Klug.

Mayor Klug was also highly complimentary of Clark's performance during a lengthy interview process Monday.

"He's got a resume as long as my arm. Well-respected by his peers. Had a great interview, great talk with him on Monday. He's got some great thoughts about how we continue to move forward on what we're doing with our Fire Department here. The improvements that we've shown over the last year, gonna build on that."

Before taking the helm, Clark must receive official approval from the Williston City Commission which meets next on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. In the meantime, Clark will continue to serve as the city's Interim Fire Chief following former Fire Chief Jason Catrambone's departure earlier this month to lead the Escambia County, Florida Fire Department.

Following the mayor's announcement, News Radio had the chance to speak with Clark who expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

"I appreciate the opportunity. I've been here since 2015, and it's definitely been one of the best decisions I've ever made to make the move here to Willistion."

As for his goals once installed as the next Fire Chief, Clark looks to build upon the growth initiated by his predecessor.

"It's been about continued improvement over the past five or six years that we've been working since we made the major transition to full-time personnel. We've had significant support from our community and from our commissioners in the city of Williston along with a lot of our surrounding partners. Truthfully, it's just continuing to improve and continuing to grow. Our city itself is not slowing down and with the development of Williston Square and the addition of the new airport, it's a continuing process. At the end of the day, it's finding ways to better serve our community and make sure we're doing everything we can on the Fire Department side of things."

On Thursday, Mayor Klug also took the time to thank former Fire Chief Jason Catrambone for his seven years of service and for setting the Department up for success citing his reorganization efforts, his attention to standards, and his work to lower the city's fire rating resulting in cost savings for the city.