By Todd South
The Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
DALTON, Ga. — Dalton’s new fire chief is no stranger to the department. The Dalton Public Safety Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday to hire interim Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield as the city’s full-time chief.
Chief Satterfield has worked for the department since 1980 and served as assistant chief more than eight years.
Commission Chairman Bill Weaver congratulated the new chief and noted the challenges ahead. “It’s never easy to come into a situation where there’s a budget concern,” he said.
Former Chief Barry Gober resigned last year citing, in part, concerns about reduced funding for the fire department.
The commission began the search for the new chief in November and received 24 applications, including six from within the department, Mr. Weaver said. A selection committee of Mr. Weaver and Terry Mathis from the safety commission, and Dalton City Council members George Sadosuk and Dick Lowery, eventually recommended three finalists.
“Any one of the local people would have made a great chief,” Mr. Weaver said. But Mr. Satterfield “has a knowledge of the budget process and he has performed at every position in the department,” he said.
Chief Satterfield said he didn’t envision becoming chief when he was hired as a firefighter 29 years ago, but “as I worked my way through all of the various aspects of the fire service,” he realized it was something he could do.
Also Tuesday, Police Chief Jason Parker told the commission that crime in Dalton was down 22 percent in 2008 from 2007.
The commission approved using $20,000 from the drug forfeiture fund to pay for an e-policing program that is part of citywide patrol strategy Chief Parker is developing.
Officers would be assigned to areas of six blocks where they develop personal contacts with residents and business owners, even giving out information cell phone numbers, Chief Parker said. He said the strategy will take about six months to implement, with no added cost to taxpayers.
Copyright 2009 Chattanooga Publishing Company