SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT — August 21 — South Burlington Fire Chief Steven Locke was officially appointed as president and board chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) on August 14 during Fire-Rescue International 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.This marked Locke as the 150th president of the IAFC.

The IAFC represents around 12,000 leaders from fire and emergency services globally and functions as a professional organization dedicated to addressing matters impacting the fire and emergency service sectors.

In his role as president, Locke was expected to serve as the main representative of the association, lead its meetings and the Board of Directors, and oversee the association's activities throughout his one-year term.

Locke had been a member of the IAFC Board of Directors since 2016, serving in various roles including treasurer and several positions of vice president.

He joined the South Burlington Fire Department in 2022 and continued to hold the position of fire chief.

The South Burlington Fire Department continued to operate from Fire Station 1 located at 575 Dorset Street, providing fire and emergency medical services while Locke fulfilled his responsibilities in national leadership.