Talk about hitting the ground running.
Corey Isbell, a 20-year veteran of the Iola Fire Department, has been named Iola Fire Chief, effective immediately.
And today, his first day as chief, Isbell is in South Dakota, where he is helping go over specifications with builders of a new fire truck the department is slated to receive in the next year or so.
Isbell, 42, spoke to the Register last week, after accepting the job offer.
“This is a dream come true,” he said. “I have a whole lot of emotions running through me. I was happy and surprised, just when they asked for an interview, and then getting the offer, then accepting it.”
Isbell’s ascension is the latest move to help settle what had been a turbulent few months at IFD, beginning with the resignation of former Chief Chase Waggoner, including the purchase of a new fire truck, and finally the recent extension of the city’s contract to provide ambulance services to all of Allen County after it appeared the county was going to go with a private vendor after this year.
“It’s nice to have everything in place,” he said. “We’re going to continue working together to ensure things run smoothly with both entities.”
THE BURLINGTON native grew up intent on pursuing a career in emergency services, so much so that he would ride along on ambulance calls when in high school.
So it was a no-brainer after graduating from high school in 1998 that Isbell attended classes at Johnson County Community College. Within a year, he was a certified emergency medical technician.
It was then he entered the workforce, joining the Iola Fire Department under former chief Donald Leapheart.
He stayed for about two years, but decided to go elsewhere with the thought of focusing solely on doing EMS work, and not splitting his duties as a firefighter.
“Growing up, I’d always enjoyed the medical services, and I’d never done anything with fire,” he said.
But it soon became evident that Isbell missed the fire protection aspect of the job.
He reapplied to IFD and was rehired in 2003.
“I liked being able to do everything, from fire to EMS to rescues, water rescues,” he said. “You never know what’s going to come at you.”
He continued his schooling all the while, and eventually ascended to the role of lieutenant/paramedic.
In fact, it was his schooling that prohibited Isbell from seeking the chief’s position when former chief Tim Thyer retired in 2020.
“I was working on a fire science and fire service administration degree, and wasn’t quite finished,” he said.
He earned that certification, and as fate would have it, Thyer’s replacement, Chase Waggoner, resigned after only a few months in office.
“I certainly didn’t expect this to come so soon,” he said.
THE DEPARTMENT is blessed with a number of employees who, like Isbell, can now count their service time in decades.
“The men and women who work here are great,” he said. “They’re the ones who have kept this place going.”
The department has 23 employees, three short of a full staff.
“It’s tough to get people, especially in this kind of job,” Isbell noted. “We are going to continue to try to get them filled.”
Working in fire protection and emergency medical services requires a special breed, he stressed.
“We’re showing up on somebody’s worst day, whether it’s a fire or medical call,” Isbell said. “We’re making a difference in somebody’s life, no matter what it is.”
It requires staying cool in high-stress situations.
Sleepless nights can occur without a moment’s notice, he noted
“It matters how you present yourself and how you handle things,” he said.
ISBELL’S wife, Kim, is adviser for Humboldt High School’s award-winning newspaper and yearbook programs.
The Isbells have two children, son Kyler, a freshman, is already a standout athlete on the football field and basketball court. Daughter Kinsley is active in dance.
“They definitely keep me busy,” he laughed.
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