Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr. officially named the cityโs next fire chief on Thursday. Javier Lopez, the former assistant fire chief, was announced on Thursday as the new chief of the Waterbury Fire Department. He has been serving as acting fire chief since the retirement of Chief Terrence J. Ballou on May 30.
โServing this department and the people of Waterbury has been the honor of my life,โ Lopez said. โI am grateful for the opportunity to lead, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Chief Ballou and those before him.โ Lopez has over 36 years of professional firefighting experience, including the last 16 years as a chief officer within the department. He joined the Waterbury Fire Department in 1989 and has held multiple leadership positions, including deputy chief of operations and director of communications. โChief Lopez is a proven leader who has risen through the ranks of our department,โ Pernerewski said. โHe has earned the respect of his peers and understands both the operational needs and the community values of Waterbury. His depth of experience, leadership skills, and commitment to public safety make him the right choice to lead the department forward.โ Chief Lopez will be officially sworn in by the mayor during a ceremony, with the date to be announced in the coming days.
