Gamble Selected Emergency Director

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough selected Bill Gamble Tuesday as its new Director of Emergency Services. Gamble has been the Fire Chief for the West Lakes Fire Department since 2003 and began serving the Borough as an on call responder in 1990.

Gamble was also an air traffic controller for 26 years with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Borough Manager John Moosey describes Gamble’s work ethic as “impeccable” with a “can do” attitude. “He will bring a new level of leadership,” Moosey said.

Gamble will be overseeing some 537 employees in the Emergency Services Department, mostly on call responders but also full time responders. Central Mat-Su Fire Department alone is the second largest department in the State. Steady, swift population growth in the Mat-Su has increased fire, ambulance, and rescue calls demanding a transition from mostly on call staff to more permanent responders.

Gamble is Acting Director and becomes Director on April 20.

Gamble has had extensive training including at the National Fire Academy and FEMA. He is a certified EMT, a rescue technician, and firefighter.

Gamble knows adversity. He responded as Big Lake Fire Chief during the Miller’s Reach Fire, a blaze that consumed more than 400 structures in Big Lake in 1996, and was the most destructive fire in the State.

Gamble’s recent achievement is helping West Lakes Fire Service Area improve its ISO rating, which in turn can reduce home insurance premiums for local residents. He was also instrumental in consolidating the Big Lake and Meadow Lakes fire service areas into one district. Gamble served as Big Lake Fire Chief from 1994 to 2007 and oversaw Meadow Lakes fire from 2000 until the departments merged in 2007.

“I want to make a difference. I wake up every single day happy and ready to go to work on emergency services,” Gamble said.

Former Emergency Services Director Dennis Brodigan resigned on April 1. Brodigan had been employed since Sept. 2002. During that time three federally-declared disasters in the Borough including hurricane-force winds and historic flooding were managed with well-organized emergency responses.

Gamble pictured up top with BP Fire Chief Doug Frey and on call responder for Central Mat-Su Fire and Fire Chief John Fairchild who worked at Savant Alaska Oil Co. and also as Assistant Chief at West Lakes at the time BP donated a ladder truck to the department.