Stephens is the leader Lewes FD needs

In the wake of the latest controversy surrounding the Lewes Fire Department, members have chosen a new face to lead — Robbie Stephens.

A full-time Wilmington firefighter, Stephens is no stranger to the inner workings of a fire department; after all, it’s a family legacy — his father, Craig, is a past chief and president, and his grandfather and great-grandfather also served in the department.

Recent events have distracted from the department’s true mission, which is to help those in need in the community. With Stephens at the helm, our hope is the department can move past controversy and restore the community’s confidence that LFD firefighters will respond to all calls, no matter a person’s ethnicity, faith or sexuality.

As the Lewes-area population continues to grow, it’s vital for the department to attract more volunteers and more funding to keep up with the increased workload. Combining fire and EMS calls, LFD responded to more than 7,500 calls in 2024. That number will likely increase by the end of this year.

It’s critical that the department safeguard its funding sources. By electing Stephens as fire chief, membership has taken an important step toward that goal.

And on the heels of a law recently signed by Gov. Matt Meyer that gives an elective credit to high school students who are volunteer firefighters, Stephens’ experience and leadership could attract a new generation of members. 

Though he’s only been chief for a few weeks, Stephens has already made efforts to repair the department’s relationship with the community. He’s met with CAMP Rehoboth, he introduced himself to Congresswoman Sarah McBride at a Lewes event, and he has plans to meet soon with the NAACP. We hope he doesn’t stop there.

As fire chief, Stephens should make it a point to attend community events. He should chat with as many people as possible.

It takes a lot of bravery to be a firefighter. Running into burning buildings and responding to the scene of serious vehicle accidents is not for the faint of heart. Firefighters should be role models. Our hope is Robbie Stephens will be just that.