Weeks new Columbia Falls Fire Department chief

Karl Weeks, a longtime volunteer with the Columbia Falls Fire Department, is the new chief. Weeks was sworn in at the Jan. 21 Columbia Falls city council meeting, but doesn’t officially start until Feb. 3

He’ll work with current fire chief Rick Hagen for a month until Hagen officially retires at the end of February.

Weeks was a captain in the department and knows the Columbia Falls community well. He graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1994 and went to work at Anytime Lock and Safe in 1996 and has been a locksmith ever since. He bought out Don Davall in 2002 and started his own business, Alpine Lock and Safe, which he still owns.

Now that he has the chief position, Weeks said he plans on selling the lock businesses and has a prospective buyer.

Weeks joined the department as a volunteer in April 2002 and has been volunteering ever since.

“I had a couple of friends who were on the department and I thought it would be interesting,” he said about his initial reason for joining. “I can give back to the community while having fun.”

He learned that Hagen was going to a few years ago and has been furthering his fire education ever since, obtaining his inspection license and taking leadership classes. He recently completed a leadership course through the National Fire Academy with the Kalispell Fire Department.

The rank of captain is the third highest in the department, under assistant chief. Jesse Best is assistant chief and will stay on in that capacity, Weeks said.

“I have some huge shoes to fill, I know that,” Weeks said. “I owe Rick a lot. He’s shown me what that position is supposed to look like.”

Weeks noted that it’s important to provide service to the community while being fiscally responsible.

As the department looks to expand in coming years, Weeks said two full-time daytime firefighters in addition to himself would be a good place to start. The city is still considering on how to fund expansion, either through a possible resort tax or a public safety levy (see related story).

The volunteer force can sometimes be stretched thin, particularly during the day. Weeks recalled an incident not too long ago when an RV caught on fire at the gas pumps at the Blue Moon Town Pump. He rolled into the scene with an engine and everyone was expecting a bunch of firefighters to jump out of the truck, but Weeks was alone.

He went to work putting the fully engulfed RV out alone until more help arrived, which was just a few minutes later.

It just illustrates how things can work with a volunteer force sometimes, he noted.

Weeks has a grown daughter and has two stepsons with his wife, Jennifer Wheeler.