Duluth Council Approves Shawn Krizaj As Fire Chief

Unanimous vote appoints Krizaj after Edwards stepped down.

DULUTH, Minn.- On Monday night the Duluth City Council voted 7-0 to appoint Mayor Emily Larson’s choice for the city’s next Fire Chief, Shawn Krizaj.

Krizaj has been with the Duluth Fire Department for almost 22 years, starting as a firefighter and working his way up to Deputy Chief.

Most recently he became Acting Chief in April, when Dennis Edwards resigned from that position over his DWI conviction.

At the council meeting Krizaj talked his plan for the department and his crew.

“They want to get back to what I’ll say some of the basics of firefighting: actual putting out real fires, live fire training,” the new Chief said. “We’ve teamed up with Lake Superior College, they’ve got  new facility out there that we’re real excited about.”

“And so I’d really like to kind of listen to what some of our members want and really try to provide that.”

Krizaj will oversee eight fire stations and 146 employees.