A 10-year veteran of the emergency services roster took over the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department’s daily operations this month.

Aaron Powell stepped into the role of fire and EMS administrator on July 6, succeeding Anna Allen, who had managed the department’s paperwork since 2023.

Beyond his decade of volunteer service, Powell is a familiar face on Front Street, having owned the Totem Bar for 15 years before closing the business last summer and selling the building to Reme Privett, who moved Rayme’s bar and liquor store into the spot.

Powell’s new position anchors the business side of the department that splits its leadership. While Fire Chief Jordan Buness retains command over active emergency scenes, tactical field training and crew readiness during dispatches, Powell handles the clerical infrastructure. The administrator runs the department’s billing systems, patient charting, grant compliance and daily office logistics.

Adapting to the administrative workload represents a fresh challenge for the longtime first responder. 

“I’m still learning the system and getting familiar with this side of things,” Powell said. “It’s a lot of stuff to learn.”

Even during the onboarding process, he is mapping out training operations for the upcoming season. He has initiated regulatory reviews for a live-fire training exercise later this year. 

“I’ve been in contact with the (state) Department of Environmental Conservation about the controlled burn. It would be a non-residential structure,” he said. “We’re also looking at the possibility of offering a Firefighter I course in the fall. But it’s a pretty long course. So, we’ll see how things go with that.”

While modern firefighting apparatus remains vital, Powell emphasized that the strength of the agency rests in its roster numbers and the dedication of the people who answer the sirens.

“We currently have 30 firefighter and four junior firefighter volunteers,” he said. “Obviously not everyone can be at every call, but this group is very involved in meetings and everything else that we do.”

Securing funding to maintain that high standard of response gear forms a core part of his administrative mandate. Fortunately, he inherited an inventory that requires no immediate overhaul. 

“Right now, we’re really in good shape with the equipment we have,” he said. “The Jaws of Life equipment that we have is fairly new and in really good shape. Our breathers — self-contained breathing apparatus — are also in really good condition.”

Looking ahead, Powell aims to maintain the department’s steady trajectory while mastering his expanded role, adding that he is happy to be learning new things.