Donald Dominick has been named the new chief of the Onalaska (Wis.) Fire Department. Dominick succeeds Fire Chief Paul Menches, who retired.

Formerly a Michigan resident, Dominick learned of the opportunity when he met Menches while attending the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. Speaking to the Onalaska (Wis.) Community Life newspaper, Dominick explained that Menches couldn’t stop raving about his hometown, so when Menches retired in June, Dominick was eager to apply for the job.

Dominick brings to the job 26 years of professional fire fighting experience. For the past six years he has been fire chief in Northfield Township, a town just north of Ann Arbor, Mich. He will assume his duties as chief of the Onalaska department in January 2007.