Scranton Fire Chief John Judge is leaving the department after nearly a quarter century to take a position in Central Pennsylvania.
Judge, 52, will become fire director for the Centre Region Council of Governments (COG) in the State College area.
"I'm excited. It's kind of bittersweet, as you can imagine," Judge told WVIA News. "I love Scranton. I really do."
At the same time, Judge said he is excited to step into the new, "unique" role, which includes supervising fire coverage for 93,000 people in a 104-square-mile area.
"It's an area that's growing and surrounds Penn State University," Judge said.
He expects to begin the COG job in late November, overlapping with outgoing Director Shawn Kauffman. Judge said he has some leave time accumulated and his last official day with Scranton will be Jan. 2, 2027.
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who appointed Judge fire chief on Nov. 30, 2020, praised him in a release issued Friday.
“Firefighters often choose this profession for a lifetime, and Chief John Judge has provided a remarkable life of service to the Scranton Fire Department and our community,” Cognetti said in the release.
“His dedication to public safety and service has been unmatched, helping to keep Scranton residents safe in immeasurable ways. The fundamental values of the Scranton Fire Department include ‘Service’ and ‘Integrity,’ both of which Chief Judge has embodied throughout his career,” she added.
Judge's history of service
Judge began his service to Scranton in December 2001 as a police officer.
"I was the last person that Mayor [Jimmy] Connors hired," Judge said.
He entered the force as a patrolman in a position funded through a community-development block grant. Judge served as a beat officer in South Scranton until the following September.
"When the civil service testing came up, the first one that came up was the fire department test, and I took that," he said. "I have loved every bit of the 24-plus years that I've been with the fire department."
"You know, when you're a kid, you want to be a policeman or a fireman. I had this unbelievable opportunity to do both in a city that I really admire and I love," he said.
City officials praised Judge's accomplishments in Friday's release.
"His tenure as chief has been defined by an emphasis on proactive fire prevention, modernizing emergency operations and strengthening the city’s emergency preparedness," the release said.
"Judge championed a proactive approach to fire prevention by advancing the department’s free smoke alarm program and expanding its community outreach, strengthening relationships between firefighters and the residents they serve," the release added. "He also strengthened the department’s fire investigation capabilities through the addition of W’Asyk, an accelerant detection K-9."
Judge also focused on modernizing fire department operations, the release said.
"Under his leadership, the department developed a drone program and implemented a GPS-based alerting system that warns motorists of approaching fire apparatus and nearby emergency scenes. He also oversaw continued modernization of the apparatus fleet, including improvements to the tools and equipment used in firefighting operations."
Judge also served as the city’s emergency management coordinator, a role in which he "advanced the use of mass public notification tools and helped develop flood mitigation strategies to improve Scranton’s preparedness for severe weather and other emergencies," the release said.
Why leave now?
Judge says he "wasn't looking specifically for a new job," but the timing and the opportunity felt right.
"I am getting close to retirement eligibility, and you know, I've been keeping my eye open for what the next challenge would be," he said.
"And I think that sometimes, you know, change is good for the soul, and this opportunity just happened to come up as I was keeping my eyes open, and it really appealed to me."
"And I think it's time for somebody else to leave a mark on the fire department," Judge said.
"You know, you can get stale after six years — and I'm not saying that we got stale here because we certainly didn't — but you know, six years at the helm, it's maybe time for a fresh perspective there," he said. "You know, somebody else to give it a fresh look and and and move it in a positive forward direction."
Judge had positive words for the mayor who elevated him nearly six years ago.
"This isn't a political comment at all, but I've had a unique front-row seat to some really positive work that's been done by Mayor Cognetti and her administration, and being a small part of that has really been a highlight in my professional career," Judge said.
"To see the city turn around from where I knew it when I started — in distressed status, literally by August, not being able to buy toilet paper for the fire stations — to see the complete transformation that's occurred, you know, over the last several years has been really cool," he said. "I'm so happy for the city because I think it's an awesome place."
Finding a replacement in Scranton
Under the City of Scranton's 2026 operating budget the combined roles of fire chief and emergency management coordinator pays $116,199, city spokesman Chris Hughes confirmed.
The 141-person department serves the city from seven fire stations, with its headquarters at 518 Mulberry St. in downtown Scranton.
Asked about the process of replacing Judge, Hughes referred to Article III of City Code, which states that each department "shall be headed by a director, appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of Council," with those department heads serving "at the pleasure of the mayor."
About the COG job
According to its website, the COG's Regional Fire Protection Program is made up of the Alpha Fire Company and the Centre Region Fire Marshal’s Office.
Its mission is to maintain the mostly volunteer fire company to provide fire, rescue and related services to the Borough of State College, all or part of four neighboring townships and Penn State's University Park campus.
Judge said Alpha also includes some career members and Penn State students.
"So it's pretty unique and set up in a very positive environment," he said. "In the limited interactions I've had so far through the interview process and through some discussions, I'm really looking forward to going down there and being a part of what they do."
Day-to-day program administration and management are handled by the fire director and the Alpha fire chief. According to an job ad posted this summer the director position pays between $119,000 and $130,000.
Judge plans to visit in October to begin shadowing the outgoing director, with a particular focus on football games at Beaver Stadium.
"They have some emergency management responsibilities and they want me to come down and see that," Judge said. "I'll actually be going down for the whiteout game ... and seeing how the emergency management functions for a game when you have over 100,000 people in a very small area."
