The city of Manitowoc has a new assistant fire chief.
Ben Kraynek was sworn in during November’s city council meeting and has been working for the last few months.
He says he was born and raised in Manitowoc and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1997.
After going to school for firefighter training, he applied for several jobs before the Manitowoc Fire Department offered him a job.
He says he’s worked his way through the ranks of the fire department.
“Starting at firefighter, then to a driver position, which is called a motor pump operator in our department,” he recalled. “That job is when we get to a fire is operating the pump and hose lines and things. Then moved to lieutenant, which I served in that capacity for eight years prior to becoming assistant chief, and that is just leading a single fire station.”
But while he has the job now, he says it was never his goal to make it to a chief in the department.
“When I came on the job, I just wanted to be the best I could be in that position,” he explained. “So, when I started as a firefighter, I wanted to be the best firefighter I could be.”
He says he’s still learning as a firefighter, especially in the new role.
But he is otherwise happy to serve the department as the newest assistant fire chief, and he hopes that firefighters will keep making an impact on the community.
