John Austad to Serve as Deputy Fire/EMS Chief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 28, 2023
Jake King
Communications and Diversity Strategist
jking@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 332-5397

John Austad to Serve as Deputy Fire/EMS Chief

The City of Sun Prairie is excited to announce that John Austad will serve as the Deputy Fire/EMS Chief. In this pivotal role, he will be instrumental to ensuring effectiveness and efficiency to the department's operations, actively engaging in all departmental activities and responding to assigned emergencies.

In the event of emergencies, Austad will assume specific roles within the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, as directed by the Fire/EMS Chief. His core responsibilities will encompass the oversight of various critical functions, including communications, apparatus, facilities, logistics, departmental history, programs, and operational objectives. Furthermore, he will assess and refine departmental policies, rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures, providing valuable insights to the Fire/EMS Chief on their implications for operational efficiency.

Austad will be stepping into this position with a wealth of knowledge and experience, having served in various leadership capacities throughout his career, including his most recent position as Senior Manager at Eurofins Food Chemistry, US INC, in Madison. In this role, he supervised laboratory performance, logistics, support staff, and the activities of instrumentation teams, ensuring the delivery of high quality, accurate data to clients. He also managed a $6 million capital budget, instrument purchases and maintenance, and played a key role in the facility and staff transition during the ownership shift from Covance Inc. to Eurofins Food Chemistry.

Since 2006, Austad has served with Sun Prairie Fire and Rescue, most recently serving as an Assistant Fire Chief. In this most recent role, he directed the training division of the department, ensuring optimal staff safety and effectiveness through education. His responsibilities included developing and executing targeted training programs in compliance with internal, state, and federal regulations. Additionally, he has been

actively involved in fire service education as a part-time Fire Services Instructor at Madison College supporting lead instructors with various hands-on class activities, and proctoring numerous state exams.

In his free time, Austad enjoys a variety of interests such as hunting, fishing, golfing, and cooking. His favorite activities include spending time with his family and cheering on his son during his hockey games.

“John Austad’s dynamic background and extensive leadership experience will make him an invaluable addition to the City’s Fire and EMS Departments,” said Christopher Garrison, Fire/EMS Chief. “We are excited to have him on the team and serving the community.”

Austad has already assumed his responsibilities with the City and is currently establishing himself in the position.