Meet Fridley's New Fire Chief: James Lange

Published on May 06, 2025

Fridley Fire Division Garage filled with Fire Trucks with their lights on

James Lange Headshot The City of Fridley is proud to welcome James Lange as our new Fire Chief! Lange is a familiar face in the community and within the Public Safety Department, where he has dedicated nearly 13 years to keeping Fridley safe.

Chief Lange’s passion for the fire service runs in the family – his father worked for the fire department in Columbia Heights, where James grew up. Though Lange initially pursued a career in education, earning a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a master’s degree in education from Bethel University, he always felt a pull toward fire service. That calling became even stronger when he and his wife started their family in Fridley. Wanting to make a greater impact in the community, he joined the department as a paid‐on‐call firefighter while still working in education.

His transition to full‐time fire service was driven by his desire to continue making a positive impact in his community. “Believing in the mission and seeing the impact of the Fire Division made it an easy decision,” Lange shared. “I’ve always been public service‐minded, and moving from education to the fire service felt like a natural transition.”

Since joining the department full‐time, Lange has held several positions: Full‐Time Captain, Fire Inspector, Fire Marshal and Chief II, Interim Chief, and now, Fire Chief. Lange received a graduate certificate in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in public administration and emergency services management from Columbia Southern.

As Fire Chief, Lange is eager to continue building on the Fire Division’s successes. “I think we’re doing things really well here in Fridley, and we have made great improvements over the years under [former] Chief Zikmund’s leadership,” he said. “I’m excited to take us to the next level – expanding public education, improving inspection programs and leveraging new technology and equipment to provide the best service possible to our community.”

Beyond his work in Fridley, Chief Lange is dedicated to fire education and training. He teaches at the Anoka County Fire Academy and Century College, helping prepare future firefighters for the field.

Chief Lange lives in Fridley with his family and is proud to serve the community he calls home. Please join us in congratulating Chief Lange on his new role!