Woodbury Names New EMS/Fire Chief

WOODBURY, MN — The city of Woodbury recently announced that it named a new EMS/fire chief.

Chris Klein was recently promoted from his previous position as EMS/fire commander, the city said.

Klein will now be in charge of directing EMS, fire response, prevention and inspection, emergency preparedness and safety services and any associated staff and programs, the city said.

Klein is replacing John Wallgren, who retired Friday, the city said.

Klein has years of experience as both a firefighter and an EMT, the city said.

“In Woodbury, more than 70% of fire/emergency medical services calls are medical related,” Woodbury Public Safety Director Lee Vague said. “As the average age of our community members continues to rise, we expect our calls for medical service to continue to increase. So it was important to have someone in this role with extensive experience with both medical and fire calls, and Chris is an excellent fit.”