For 27 years, Jesse Alba has worked his way through the fire department ranks.
With the Waukesha Police and Fire Commission naming him Waukesha's new fire chief on Thursday, he's now reached the pinnacle.
Alba, one of four finalists the PFC was considering, has served as Waukesha's assistant chief of operations since 2011.
Before that, Alba was deputy chief of training and emergency medical services for Waukesha for eight years, was a deputy chief/shift commander with the City of Brookfield from 2000-04 and was a firefighter/equipment operator/lieutenant with Waukesha from 1986-2000.
Waukesha Assistant Fire Chief Steve Howard, who also applied for the fire chief position, had been serving as the interim fire chief since Allen LaConte retired in March 2012.
LaConte was with the department for almost 35 years.
Alba, who grew up in Milwaukee, is Waukesha's 19th fire chief.