By Richard Egan
Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska)
BELLEVUE, Neb. — As a concession to the Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department, the City Council on Monday agreed to strip from the new fire chief’s job description the ability to hire top officials in the department.
The city is creating the job description as it moves toward having a paid fire chief selected by the city instead of a volunteer leader selected by firefighters.
At the urging of members of the Fire Department at a public hearing Monday, the City Council voted unanimously to delete from a proposed ordinance the authority of the chief to appoint assistant chiefs, district chiefs and officers. Those positions will continue to be filled through a vote of the rank and file.
The proposed ordinance creates the position of a paid fire chief and describes the makeup of the department. It is scheduled for final approval at the council’s July 28 meeting.
The Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 1096 in March, requiring any city with a population greater than 37,500 to hire a full-time paid fire chief. Bellevue’s population of 46,000 is the state’s third largest.
On Friday, operation of the 150-person department officially transfers from the Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department to the city. LB 1096 required a chief to be on the job by Jan. 9.
The Fire Department also objected to the city administrator being in charge of the department in the absence of the chief, but that portion of the ordinance was not amended.
The volunteers also asked the city to agree to a written contract with Bellevue Volunteer Fire Department Inc.