Chief Russell Marshall of the Athens Fire Department said he is nearing a decision on naming a new fire marshal.
“We're in the process of doing a promotional exam for that position,” he said. “It's a civil service-tested position, so it'll be a little time before we get it filled.”
A civil service test had been set for April 9, but on Wednesday not enough people were planning to take it. The minimum number of applicants to take the test is three. Marshall said city officials can ask the Civil Service Commission for a variance.
The new fire marshal will be chosen from among the current employees of the department.
“We've got some of our personnel that are interested in that position,” Marshall said. “As fire marshal duties occur, we're assigning them those tasks. So they're getting that kind of experience of handling those issues, even though they're not officially appointed to that position.”
According to the city code of ordinances, “the fire chief shall appoint, through competitive examination, a fire marshal, to be responsible for the enforcement of the International Fire Code, and the investigation of all fires as to origin and cause. His appointment shall continue during his good behavior and satisfactory service.”
In January, Ronnie Denton retired as fire marshal. Denton had a 30-year career with AFD, for which he had also been a battalion chief.
Meanwhile, this week, AFD has been participating in a 40-hour wildland fire-fighting course.
“We've got Athens, Smith County ESD 2, Forney Volunteer Fire Department and Gun Barrel City Fire Department participating,” he said.
According to the National Park Service, participants in the course gain knowledge of the basic incident management organization, firefighting techniques, suppression equipment, safety, strategy/tactics and fire behavior.
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