Gallaher takes over as chief of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company

Last month, Gallaher, 44, was elected chief of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company, where he has been volunteering for nearly 25 years. He has served in several roles with Aetna including assistant chief and deputy chief, but this is his first two-year term as chief.

He succeeds A.J. Schall, who is stepping back to a deputy chief role after several years leading the department.

“It was the next step, and I had some ideas to try to help the department grow into the future,” Gallaher said of his decision to run for chief. “There’s a lot of changes coming up.”

He said Aetna’s biggest challenge is recruiting new members. Like many fire departments across the country, Aetna has seen a decrease in volunteers as the number of calls for service continue to increase.

In recent years, Aetna has had to supplement its volunteers with more and more paid firefighters, which strains the department’s budget and requires it to find new revenue sources. Late last year, Aetna officials asked the City of Newark to consider significantly increasing its contribution to the fire department.

“We have to try to look at new ways of recruiting and trying to attract volunteers,” Gallaher said.

Gallaher said he would like to reach out to younger members of the community, including high school and college students, to encourage them to consider opportunities in the fire service. He also wants to find ways to re-engage Aetna members who are no longer active volunteers.

Another priority for Gallaher is building a new fire station to replace Aetna’s aging buildings on Ogletown Road and Academy Street.

The department is leaning toward building a larger combined station on the Ogletown Road property. Officials are meeting with architects and are expected to roll out plans and an ambitious fundraising campaign later this year. The station could cost between $10 and $12 million.

A native of Newark, Gallaher joined Aetna as a volunteer in 1999.

“It just seemed like it was a fun thing to do and a good way to help the community,” he said.

His most memorable call came in February 2001 when a four-alarm fire ripped through Brookside Shopping Center, destroying the bowling alley and damaging several other businesses. He recalled “just the scale of the fire,” which also triggered an explosion that blew pieces of concrete into the surrounding neighborhood.

In 2007, Gallaher began an 11-year career in the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and served as a crew chief on a Blackhawk helicopter.

He rejoined Aetna after returning to Delaware and now lives in Newark with his wife, 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.