Public Information Officer:

Joyce Lorenz
612-220-6612

Eden Prairie, Minn. — The Eden Prairie Fire Department is pleased to announce that Ward Parker has been named assistant chief of operations. Parker joined the Eden Prairie Fire Department in 1999 and worked his way up through the ranks as a firefighter, lieutenant and, most recently, assistant chief of emergency preparedness.

“Ward brings a wealth of experience to this position,” said Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Preparedness George Esbensen. “Not only has he served the department well for 15 years, but he also brings many great leadership skills to his new role that he attained while working 22 years in the private sector.”

Parker has extensive experience with the department’s operations and emergency management duties. He oversees Eden Prairie’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, the largest of its kind in the state. In 2007, Parker was named Eden Prairie’s Firefighter of the Year. The United Firefighter’s also honored him with the Firefighter of the Year Award. A year later, Parker received the Life Safety Award at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference.

“This is a fantastic move for both the department and the community,” said City Manager Rick Getschow. “I have no doubt that Ward’s many talents will allow him to excel in this position.”

Outside of the Fire Department, Parker has worked for the Douglas Corporation since 1992. In his most recent position, he was vice president of both the purchasing and production divisions. Parker resides in Eden Prairie with his wife, Linda and five children.

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The mission of the Eden Prairie Fire Department is to lead and strive to minimize risk, increase safety, and improve the quality of life in our community through education, code compliance and emergency response.

The City of Eden Prairie is a vibrant community of more than 60,000 residents located just southwest of Minneapolis. Eden Prairie has been nationally recognized as a great place to live, work and raise a family. Since 2006, Eden Prairie has been listed among MONEY magazine’s 100 “Best Places to Live” in America, and in 2010 topped MONEY’s list as the #1 Best Place to Live in America.