LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fire Chief Jason Wells announced his retirement Monday after 31 years with the Lexington Fire Department, with Mayor Linda Gorton saying his leadership has transformed the department into a top-ranked agency.

Wells will step down Jan. 10, 2027, after six years as chief. Gorton appointed him to the role in January 2021. In a statement, Gorton said Wells "has done an incredible job for this city, making it a safer place to live" and that he is "leaving a department that has expanded its mission and has grown with the city."

Under Wells' tenure as chief, the department expanded from 597 to 635 firefighters and increased emergency responses from roughly 62,000 annual runs in 2021 to more than 70,000 in 2026. The department also launched several notable initiatives, including equipping medical units with whole blood for emergency transfusions at fire and accident scenes, implementing a station alerting system to reduce response times, and establishing the Community Crisis Co-Response Team with the police department to handle mental health-related calls.

The fire department also expanded its community paramedicine program and added a 13th emergency medical vehicle to the fleet. Wells replaced the city's first female fire chief, Kristin Chilton, in 2021.

Gorton said the department will begin an internal search for a successor, with a goal of announcing a new chief in early December. The city will spend 6 to 8 weeks processing applications and conducting interviews, and Gorton said she does not anticipate hiring an outside candidate.

In remarks at Monday's announcement, Wells said the Lexington Fire Department's 150-plus year history of service to the community extends beyond any one person. "Each retirement provides the opportunity for new leaders to emerge and continue to improve on that story," he said.