You probably couldn’t ask for expressions of stronger commitment from the leaders of a small town police or fire chief than those we heard recently in Turners Falls and Athol.

Turners Falls Fire District, which essentially serves the town of Montague, and Athol Police Department have been introduced to new chiefs.

John Zellmann, who has been deputy fire chief of the Turners Falls Fire Department, will replace Robert Escott Jr. as chief on Aug. 28, following Escott’s retirement.

Having been with the Turners Falls Fire Department for 32 years, Zellmann said it is a natural part of his career path to become chief. Zellmann, 52, became a full-time staff member in 1987 and deputy chief in 2014. He got his start on the Lake Pleasant volunteer force, like his father before him.

Zellmann said he wanted the position of fire chief because he likes to challenge himself in everything he does, but it sounds like he’s as committed to his firefighters as he is to keeping the community safe.

He intends to continue the projects that he and Escott started together, such as implementing written standard operating procedures and various techniques to improve the health and safety of the firefighters.

“It’s all so these guys can have a long, healthy career,” Zellmann said.

In Athol, Russell T. Kleber took over the Police Department recently, following six years as an FBI supervisory special agent.

Kleber has 29 years of experience in law enforcement, serving as a police officer in Charlton from 1987 to 1992, when he switched to Auburn and specialized in crisis intervention and domestic abuse. He began as a special agent for the FBI in 1996, working in Providence, R.I., and Boston before heading to the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Va., in 2010.

And he also sounded ready to throw himself into the job.

“I’m going to be here for you, and I promise to use everything I have and put in all of my time, effort and energy to be the best chief of police I can be and give to you what you need,” he told well-wishers at his swearing-in.

“I’m looking to enhance the department and just give everything I have — everything I’ve done over the past 30 years — and try to build the department from within.”

The region is fortunate to have dedicated public servants willing to step into these critical jobs.