Mire named new Abbeville Fire Chief

Jude Mire walked into the Abbeville Fire Department for work Wednesday morning, the same as he has done for the last 24 years.
The difference Wednesday is that Mire arrived at the station with a new title.
The Abbeville City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday during its regular meeting to name Mire as the new Abbeville Fire Chief. The Council made the vote on the recommendation made by Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza. Councilman Francis Touchet, District B, made the motion, one seconded by Councilman-at-Large Francis Plaisance.
“I very much appreciate the opportunity,” Mire said Wednesday morning. “This is a good opportunity for me and my family.”
It is an opportunity that Mire said he could not have fathomed when he started with the department in 1989.
“When you first start you don’t think you will ever end up in a situation like this,” Mire said. “I hope I can do well for the people in the city and the guys in this department.”
The Council made the move Tuesday after former Fire Chief Elvin Michaud’s retirement became official on Dec. 31. Assistant Chief Matt Suire served as interim fire chief in 2013. During that same time, Mire, who has been a captain for 12 years, filled Suire’s role as assistant chief. Piazza made the recommendation after the Council interviewed Jude Mire, as well as his brother Kelly Mire, a long-time captain with the department. Both Mire’s qualified for the interview after passing the state’s fire chief test.
“I know it has been tough on the family and tough on the department,” Piazza said Tuesday during the meeting of the process leading up to the decision. “I want to say how much we appreciate both gentlemen and their interest in the job. There are some tough shoes to fill after Chief Elvin’s retirement and Chief Suire who was in there for a year.”
Piazza said, while it was a tough decision, it shows the positives of the elements involved.
“It speaks very highly of our fire department that we have such qualified people and had such a difficult choice,” Piazza said. “Not only do we have the personal similarities between the two (Mires), they were both equally qualified. One had three years seniority; myself and the Council believe that this individual be given an opportunity to prove himself.
“We looking forward to working with Jude.”
Mire admitted the situation proved tough.
“I can’t say enough good things about my brother,” Mire said. “If they would have picked him I would have been the first one up there to shake his hand and been in line with him. I would have supported him 100 percent. It’s been a hard situation but that’s what it is.
“It is family. It goes God, family and this department, so we’ll be all right.”
As for the department, Mire wants to make sure it continues in the right direction.
“Chief Elvin had it on the right track and Chief Matt kept that going,” Mire said. “It’s my job to keep building on what they started.”
Mire said he knows there will be challenges.
“The first challenge off the top is that our Property Insurance Rating is this year,” Mire said. “They were supposed to do us in 2015 but Vermilion Parish is being rated this year, so they are just going to come once. This is a big deal for the citizens.
“That is the number one thing we are on right now.”
Preparation for the rating has taken place during the past three years. Mire has done his share of that preparation.
“It’s a different situation,” Mire said. “You go from helping doing it to being the one to make sure it gets done.”
There is another challenge Mire will face, one that he said will take a little work but should be an easy fix.
“For 24 years I worked 24 on and 48 off,” Mire said of his shift hours. “Coming in five days a week at 8 a.m. is going to be different.”
He added with a laugh, “ I think I will be able to manage.”
Mire said managing the department will be the smoothest part.
“We have 36 great guys in this department,” Mire said. “When they come to work the citizens are the number one thing.
“That is what we are going to keep doing.”