New Decatur, AL, Fire Chief Worked Way Through Ranks
The Decatur Daily, Ala.
(TNS)
Nov. 12—The new Decatur City Council promoted Nathan Springer to fire chief Monday night without going through the search and interview process usually reserved for department directors.
The council voted 4-1 in its first full meeting to approve Springer's promotion even though some residents said they think he was given the job too easily. His promotion becomes effective Nov. 24.
Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin recommended exempting Springer from the recruitment process. She said policy allows the City Council to make an exception to the recruitment process since fire chief is an appointed position.
She pointed out that there is precedent for this exemption when former Councilman Billy Jackson recommended promoting Stephanie Simon to City Clerk in 2021.
Councilman Carlton McMasters added that the council at the time promoted Jason Lake to Parks and Recreation director after Jeff Dunlap retired in 2019.
A native of the Greenhill area in Lauderdale County native, Springer becomes fire chief with close to 25 years in the fire service.
"I'm aware of the credentials that are required for this position," Sandlin said. "We will be hard-pressed to find another candidate with 25 years in the fire service who has served in this department for a large portion of that, who's acting chief now and served as deputy chief since 2021."
His career began in 1998 in the Greenhill Volunteer Fire Department. He became a full-time firefighter with the Florence Fire Department in 2001 and, after three years, moved to Decatur Fire & Rescue.
Springer, 46, has worked his way up the ranks during his 21 1/2 years with DFR. He has been interim chief since August, replacing retiring Chief Tracy Thornton. He was DFR's Firefighter of the Year in 2013.
He has a bachelor's degree from Athens State University and is working on his master's degree. He completed the Executive Officer program through the National Fire Academy, which Sandlin said, "is equal to a master's degree."
Springer also served six years as a flight paramedic with Huntsville Hospital's MedFlight.
"He has the institutional knowledge to effectively lead this department," Sandlin said.
Council President Kyle Pike said he would have been fine promoting Springer in August, but he's happy to go ahead with the appointment now under the new administration.
"Our guys and gals deserve to know who our chief is going to be, and so does our community," Pike said. "I'm proud to support him. I think he's going to do a good job, and I'm looking forward to what he's going to do over the next four years."
Pike said he likes that Springer "is a very calm and collected guy. He's very analytical, and he likes to think about what he wants to say. I think you need that when you're talking about the chief of a fire department. We need somebody who has the ability to discern, can make decisions, not get rushed and not get agitated.
"He's truly a man of discipline and character. I think he has the right heart to serve and lead the department," Pike continued.
Councilwoman Pam Werstler said she's known Springer for quite some time. She said she's been impressed with his presentations to the Personnel Board that she served on before her election to the council. She said she also saw him in action at a fire at her job.
"I was very impressed with the way he handled himself," Werstler said.
She said she understands the questions about transparency, but she thinks Springer has the credentials, so "it would be a waste of the city's assets to go outside when we have the person we need right here."
Councilman Barry Bullard said he's impressed with Springer's background.
"We had a very qualified person in-house, so I don't think it was necessary to go through a rigorous process," Bullard said.
Councilman Terrance Adkins said he cast the lone vote against the promotion because of recent incidents with the Fire Department. He remains upset with the suspensions and demotions of firefighters Kevin Jackson and Curtis Butler last year.
Adkins said he wasn't happy with a lot of things that occurred in the department, even though he is pleased with the services they provide. He said they shouldn't have made an internal hire for fire chief.
"We should have done like we did with the chief of police. We should have brought someone in from outside so they could clean up the department," Adkins said.
Adkins said he doesn't know Springer well, but the new chief has always been nice, willing to shake his hand and offer up a smile.
"This has nothing to do with him personally," Adkins said. "It just has to do with me being in this position and what the city needs."
Resident Sharonda Acklin said the new council and mayor are off to a bad start on Day 1 "because they didn't do what they campaign on."
Acklin accused the council and mayor, who took office on Nov. 3, of going back on their promises of transparency, openness and "doing what's best for the citizens."
"This isn't about the person being selected," Acklin said. "He may be capable, hardworking and committed. This is about the process, a process that should have been fair and open, a process that should represent a new era of leadership, not a repeat of old patterns that we worked hard to move away from. Our firefighters, our citizens and our city deserve better."
Acklin said they should have made Springer go through the same extensive process that new Police Chief Torry Mack did before hiring the new police chief. Earlier this year, the city received 18 applicants for police chief. In April, Mack was the only candidate interviewed for the opening. The interview lasted almost two hours.
"With Chief Mack, y'all took him through the ringer regardless of his accolades and accomplishments," Acklin said.
Resident Sarah French said several firefighters within the department planned to apply for the opening while some outside of the department were waiting for the search process to begin.
French said they "want a leader that they can respect, and that they do not feel that the person you're putting in this place is that person."
She called the hire a "straight up bad move — no transparency, no respect for your citizens."
The council majority said they received a lot of phone calls and emails from DFR employees supporting Springer's promotions.
"I don't know if I've gotten more phone calls and emails from a department encouraging me to hire Springer," McMasters said. "There were several retired guys here tonight supporting him. He's served the city well, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the department does under his leadership."
Springer said Tuesday that he's "very grateful" for his selection as fire chief by the mayor and City Council.
"I thank God for putting me in this position," Springer said. "And I can't help but think about all of the people in the department who have been so important to my growth, worked with me and shaped me. My goal going forward is to do the same thing to those men and women in our department."
Springer said he knows there's always going to be opposition to some decisions.
"This was a decision of the City Council and mayor, so it doesn't bother me that some people are unhappy," Springer said. "I'm just going to get to work to move the department forward."
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