RUMFORD – Interim fire Chief Richard Coulombe hopes to continue meeting goals set by former Chief John Woulfe.

Coulombe, 45, is a 19-year veteran of the Rumford Fire Department. He’s been deputy chief for the past nine years.

He assumes his new duties Monday.

Coulombe believes the town’s potential move toward a regional fire, police and emergency services could be a good thing for his native town and the surrounding area.

“There aren’t enough people who want to volunteer and go through all the training,” he said of the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters. “It would be great for the area.”

He hopes to continue Woulfe’s goals to complete inspections of all multi-unit apartment buildings in town, devise evacuation plans for some large apartment buildings, and bring fire prevention information to schools and organizations.

He admits it won’t be easy with the department’s budget cuts that have virtually eliminated four-person teams and replaced them with three-person on-duty teams.

“Three-person teams is something we’ll have to work with. We’ll have to depend more on mutual aid,” he said.

That he was chosen by Woulfe and appointed by Town Manager Jim Doar as interim fire chief pleases Coulombe.

“It’s an honor,” he said.

The 1980 graduate of Rumford High School likes the chance to help people and try to make the town better through his work with the department,

He and his wife, Belinda, have three small children.