CITY OF LANSING HIRES NEW FIRE CHIEF

A veteran firefighter with decades of management experience will lead Lansing’s new fire department in 2025.

Joseph Gates currently serves as the interim fire chief for Leavenworth County Fire Dist. #1 and will continue in that role through Dec. 31, 2024. Gates will then take over as the first Lansing Fire Department Chief on Jan. 1, 2025, when the new department officially takes over fire protection responsibilities for the city of Lansing and Delaware Township.

Gates joined Fire District #1 in July 2000 as a senior firefighter. During the next 24 years, he has served in a variety of roles including Lieutenant/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Captain/EMT and interim Fire Chief. Gates holds numerous certifications related to his EMT duties, structural collapse rescue, fire apparatus operator and Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Awareness and Operations.

“We are fortunate to keep a firefighting professional with the credentials and experience of Joe Gates,” said Lansing City Administrator Tim Vandall. “He knows the community, he knows the firefighters and he knows how to lead.”

Gates and his wife, Lennie, live in Lansing. They have two adult children. 

For more information, contact Lansing City Administrator Tim Vandall at 913-727-3036.