Few TX Fire Marshal Candidates Mean More Exams
By Rich Flowers
Source Athens Daily Review, Texas
The choice of the new Athens fire marshal hinges on the civil service exam, City Manager Elizabeth Borstad said during a city council meeting on Monday.
“We actually had a test scheduled for the fire marshal for April 9, but that test did not make because we didn't have the number of qualified applicants to take that exam.”
The minimum number of applicants to take the test is three. City officials asked the Civil Service Commission for a variance.
“They allowed us to open it up continuously,” Borstad said. “Of course, it could take 30 days each time we post.”
The Athens Fire Department exam has written and physical components.
The fire marshal position requires a captain with two years of experience. With not enough applicants meeting that requirement, officials must select someone of a lower rank.
While no permanent fire marshal is at the department, members of the staff are being assigned those tasks and gaining experience in the role.
According to the Athens 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. He had a 30-year career with the Athens Fire Department, for which he had also been a battalion chief.
The department is headed by Chief Russell Marshall, who took the job in September 2018. He was battalion chief in the Longview Fire Department before retiring in 2016.
Athens Fire Department has 27 positions. That includes the firefighters and administration. Each shift has eight firefighters available to respond to a blaze or emergency.
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