Howell Council Confirms New Chief Of Bureau Of Fire Prevention

HOWELL, NJ — With the retirement of the chief of the Howell Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, the Township Council has appointed his deputy to fill the position.

Chief Fire Marshal Robert Lewis retired effective June 1 after 26 years of service, the township said.

Brian J. Prochnow was confirmed as chief on Tuesday by the Township Council, said Township Manager Joseph Clark.

Prochnow was deputy fire marshal and, most recently, acting chief fifire marshal.

The Township Council passed resolutions as part of the consent agenda Tuesday to accept Lewis' resignation as fire official and subcode official, and to appoint Prochnow as chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and chief fire marshal. He had been named acting chief upon Lewis' retirement.

Prochnow began his career with the Howell Township Fire Bureau on Aug. 2, 2004 as a fire prevention inspector. He was promoted to a fire protection inspector, working in conjunction with the Building Department conducting inspections in both commercial and residential occupancies, Clark said.

In 2015, Prochnow was promoted to the rank of lieutenant within the Fire Bureau, serving as the field supervisor. In July 2021, he was promoted to the rank of captain/deputy fire marshal, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fire Prevention Bureau.

He holds multiple licenses and certifications, including Firefighter Level 2, Fire Officer Level 2, Fire Instructor Level 2 and Fire Official, among others. He also holds an associate’s degree in Fire Science, with a certificate of proficiency in Fire Code Enforcement, Clark said.

Prochnow is a life member and past chief of the Adelphia Fire Company–Howell Township Fire District #2, as well as a lifelong resident of Howell, Clark said.

Regarding his predecessor, under Lewis’s leadership, the Howell Township Bureau of Fire Prevention increased its level of fire and life safety initiatives and community risk reduction assessments and activities to ensure its motto of "prevention through education," the bureau said in announcing Lewis' retirement.

The bureau also recognized his "countless hours of commitment and dedication to the Township of Howell" and congratulated him on his retirement.

Lewis was hired as a fire prevention inspector in 1997 and rose through the ranks. In 2015, he was appointed chief fire marshal and fire subcode official.