Fire Department names chief from within ranks

North Charleston searched for a new fire chief and found its man within its own ranks.

Assistant Fire Chief Gregory A. Bulanow, 36, will take charge Feb. 1, when 56-year-old Chief Leonard Judge retires.

Bulanow will oversee firefighting operations in the state's third-largest city — with a $13 million budget, 11 fire stations and 218 firefighters.

The Wisconsin native didn't start out with dreams of being a firefighter. He wanted to be a college professor, but after 12 years in school and four years in college, he had tired of the classroom and decided to try something new — firefighting.

"The excitement appealed to me," he said. "I was idealistic. I wanted to help people."

Bulanow moved to Charleston, married his college sweetheart and in 1996 started work as a North Charleston firefighter.

He found his passion, and he moved quickly through ranks to engineer in about 1999, captain in 2001, battalion chief in 2006 and assistant chief in 2008.

"As Chief Bulanow progressed through the Fire Department, he has exemplified professionalism, whether in fighting fire, working administratively within the department or promoting fire safety," Mayor Keith Summey said in a prepared statement. "I am confident this choice will ensure North Charleston's legacy in providing excellent fire services to our community into the future."

Judge said he has spent much of the last year completing a strategic Fire Department plan for the city and for the new chief to follow. Bulanow said the plan includes goals for training and structural changes and a schedule for the addition of personnel and fire stations.

"I'm leaving the department in a real good state. They have selected Greg to be my successor, and I think they made a fine selection in choosing him," Judge said.

Judge is the city's first black fire chief.

In September 2006, he stepped in to fill the shoes of former Fire Chief Larry Waddle, who left the department amid allegations of racism and management concerns. Judge served as acting chief until December 2007, when he was officially promoted to chief. He said at that time that he planned to do the job for one year and then retire.

Judge is a 34-year veteran of the department. He served as a firefighter for 11 months, then as an engineer and was promoted to captain in the late 1970s. In 1987, he became an administrative captain, and he made history as the department's first black battalion chief in 1989.

Asked how he plans to spend his retirement, he said, "I'm just going to relax. I've got a couple houses that I bought, fixer-uppers, and I'll do some work on them. And I'm going to take care of chores my wife has laid out for me. I do plan to do some traveling and plan to make a trip to some tropical island somewhere. That was my dream."