Bristol Seeks Replacement For Retiring Fire Chief

BRISTOL, Va. – Fire Chief Walt Ford plans to retire and city leaders – working with a citizen advisory committee – hope to hire a replacement before he leaves office.

Ford, who has been with the department for 34 years, recently notified City Manager Bill Dennison that he will retire effective March 1. His last day on the job will be Feb. 27.

“It was time for me to go,” Ford said in a phone interview. “I bought a little farm in Greene County, and have been working on it for about a year. I hope to retire there and weekends were just not enough time to get everything done.”

Ford, 54, served as assistant chief for three years before ascending to the chief’s position in 2004.

The city began taking applications in November. The application deadline was Friday. The position requires at least 10 years experience in fire department supervision, command and administration; and an associate’s degree in fire science, management and administration, although a bachelor’s degree is preferred.

The chief supervises a 48-member department and is responsible for a $3.4 million budget.

Dennison has drafted a four-member citizen advisory committee to review the applications, interview the applicants and help make the eventual selection.

“My hope is to have someone in place by Feb. 2, so that would give them a full month working with the chief,” Dennison said.

Committee members include former Bristol Virginia Utilities board members David Fletcher and Archie Hubbard, former city School Board Chairman Arthur “Butch” Tolley and Phil Vinson, the retired, former fire chief of Bristol, Tenn.

Former Bristol, Va., Fire Chief Charles Denton was invited to serve on the committee, Dennison said, but declined because of scheduling conflicts.

Under the terms of the City Charter, the city manager is responsible for hiring any and all department heads, but Dennison said he wanted some community involvement.

“This position [fire chief] and the police chief’s position are the two most highly visible in the community, so they [community] should have a stake in selecting,” Dennison said. “The people on this committee are well qualified and have a record of past service to the community.”

More than 15 applications have been received.

“If at all possible, I’d like to get started in December,” Dennison said. “We’ll review and discuss the applicants, try to get it down to a reasonable number – whatever that is – and then bring them in to interview with the entire committee.”

The city advertised the job in regional newspapers, including the Bristol Herald Courier, through the Virginia Municipal League and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

A check of the chiefs association Web site revealed five other openings for chiefs and two for assistant chief across the United States.

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