Mayor Ray O’Connell today appointed Jim Wehr interim chief of the Allentown Fire Department. He succeeds Chief Lee Laubach whose retirement is effective tomorrow. The announcement was made at a 1:00pm news conference in City Council Chambers.
Wehr is in his 24th year with the department. He has been deputy chief of the department since February 2016 and was recognized as Firefighter of the Year in 2009.
Over the course of his career, Chief Wehr has been honored for valor which according to department guidelines involves a degree of danger of “extreme personal risk.” He also has been cited for heroism which according to department guidelines “involves personal risk.”
“I have no doubt that Jim will be a fine leader of the department,” said O’Connell. “We are fortunate to have someone with his experience who is ready to take over the reins.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor O’Connell and Managing Director McMahon for their confidence in my ability to lead the Allentown Fire Department,” said Wehr. “It has been my privilege to have served on the Allentown Fire Department for the past 24 years and it is with great honor and pride that I accept the position of Interim Chief. I cannot imagine leading a better department and working with a finer group of firefighters.”
When he was honored as Firefighter of the Year, Chief Wehr served in the Central Fire Station office. He was cited for his professional manner, work ethic and flawless and timely handling of administrative duties. He had recently assumed command of the department’s dive team. Wehr was also recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation for his assistance in fund raising through extracurricular activities.
Chief Wehr also earned the Alfred W. Fischl Firefighter Service Award in 2014. The award is presented to an individual who has served the department for at least 20 years and has exemplified himself with consistent and dedicated work habits during that period.
Wehr joined the department in 1994 after having served in the U.S. Air Force. He was promoted to Fire Specialist in 2005, later promoted to Lieutenant in 2006 and was promoted to Captain in 2010. Wehr was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2012. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University.
O’Connell also announced the promotion of Assistant Fire Chief Efrain Agosto Jr. to deputy chief of operations.
A U.S. Army veteran, Agosto joined the department in 2003. He was promoted to Fire Marshal/Inspector in 2012 and Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention in 2014. He is the recipient of five unit citations for his work within the department.
As deputy chief of operations, Agosto is second in command in the department. Among other things, the deputy chief of operations supervises and evaluates assistant chiefs, battalion chiefs, captains, lieutenants, fire marshals and firefighters assigned to the division as well as being responsible for all personnel and apparatus assigned to the department.
Agosto is a graduate of Dieruff High School and is pursuing a B.A. in Spanish and Political Science at Muhlenberg College.
O’Connell praised Laubach for an outstanding three-and-a-half-year tenure as chief. Among other things, Chief Laubach is credited with the city’s receipt of a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development toward the purchase of a new fire pumper.
The city expects delivery of the newest to be manufactured vehicle in January 2019 and comes on the heels of this year’s purchase of two rescue pumpers that were included in the 2018 capital budget. Delivery of those vehicles is expected this December.
Laubach was also the handler for K9 Judge who is also retiring after eight years of service to the city and the region. K9 Judge performed more than 550 fire investigations and was the 2016 American Humane Hero Dog winner for the Arson Dog Category.
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