VICENZA, Italy -- A new fire chief has arrived and taken control of the mission at United States Army Garrison Italy's Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Coming from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Scott M. DeLay has been here since July 1 and brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his more than 24 years of experience in the field.
DeLay has provided service to U.S. citizens as a volunteer, municipal and federal fire and emergency services responder, instructor, and chief fire officer. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm, he has lectured on leadership to graduating classes at the Army Management Staff College at Fort Belvoir, Va., and is currently the only Army fire and emergency services leader to graduate from the AMSC Continuing Education for Senior Leaders Course. All of this and more has prepared him for his new mission in Italy.
"I'm happy to be here serving Installation Management Command and the Army," said DeLay, who is here with wife Holly and daughter Kendall. "This organization serves all USAG Italy assets, and the organization is guided by a commitment to provide world-class customer services to our military community. I'm dedicated to doing just that."
DeLay said he has been evaluating the department and getting acclimated to the area since his arrival. There are some challenges ahead, he added, but he is ready to meet them head on. The chief has met with his team throughout the garrison to learn more about the organization and its employees, and to allow them the opportunity to voice any concerns. From all of the feedback, the fire chief said he hopes to "better balance and blend two cultural mindsets about the service they provide."
The fire chief also said he aims to establish a trusting relationship with the community and let customers know that Fire and Emergency Services offers something to an actual customer base.
"Our personnel respond to over 1,600 calls for service annually throughout the garrison. But it's not just fires that we respond to," DeLay said. "Today's response organizations are built to provide an all-hazards response to the community. Our personnel are professionally educated and trained across the spectrum of emergency response activities in order to provide this community a piece of mind. It's what the Army has put us here for."
The capabilities include response to fires, emergency medical services, technical rescue, urban interface, code review and compliance, public education, and responses/preparedness to all natural and manmade disasters.
Working with the Italian community adds another layer of service.
"We have current mutual aid agreements with the local community," said DeLay. "These agreements are key to a lot of our successes. We will continue to share resources, training and professional development to ensure we can provide a quality services to our Soldiers, civilians and Army families."
The chief encourages customers to use Fire and Emergency Services for home safety inspections and assistance in developing a safety escape plan.
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