Jim Fuller was named fire chief by the Banks County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night.
Commissioner Joe Barefoot made the motion to hire Fuller and Charles Turk, Ernest Rogers and chairman Milton Dalton voted along with him. Commissioner Rickey Cain was not present for the vote.
The BOC interviewed eight applicants for fire chief Tuesday afternoon prior to the vote, including Fuller, Steven Bowles, Richard Crowder, Andy Kitchens, William Rabbitt, Jeff Taylor, Gregory Wainwright and Stanley Wooten.
Fuller served as a lieutenant/paramedic with the Gwinnett County Fire Services from 1984 to 2009.
Assistant fire chief Jeff Taylor has been serving as interim fire chief. BOC chairman Milton Dalton said Tuesday night after the meeting that it would be up to the new fire chief as to whether Taylor would go back to serving as assistant fire chief.
It will be easier to sleep at night knowing that state mandated training requirements will be fulfilled, that fire hydrants will be located in an emergency (not hidden in the last two years weed growth) and they actually will have been tested before they are needed.
Perhaps instead of harping on what you don't know about, it would be worthwhile for you to become educated in the difference between right and wrong, and the meaning of the word accountability.
Change is not always an easy thing to accept.
Sometimes it is totally necessary. I commend the B>O>C> for taking the high road in this and other decisions yet to be made.