The Press Enterprise March 14, 2012, Wednesday MAINNEWS; Pg. A5 297 words JOE MORRIS SWORN IN AS HEMET’S FIRE CHIEF KEVIN PEARSON STAFF WRITER KPEARSON@PE.COM HEMET, Calif. — Saying it is an honor to lead the century-old department, and with the City Council extolling his leadership, Joe Morris was sworn in as Hemet’s new fire chief on Tuesday night.
Morris was sworn in by Mayor Robert Youssef, one week after the council unanimously approved his appointment in a special council meeting.
Morris, 48, has been with the department 16 years. For seven months, the captain was one of three rotating duty chiefs while the city questioned if it would continue its own department or contract out services.
Morris’ appointment last week was met with resistance by the Hemet Firefighters Association, which argued that he was not qualified to be a chief.
“It’s a privilege and honor to serve the city of Hemet,” Morris said. “I’m truly honored by this opportunity.”
Morris spoke that his new badge was not about him, but about the 103-year old department surviving, even as it prepares to undergo changes in the way it responds to medical calls and fire prevention issues. Those changes and his vision for them are what led to Morris being the prime candidate for the job.
Morris, a certified fire marshal, will make $140,000 annually. His total compensation package is $215,000. He will retain his lifetime medical insurance and will continue to work on the front lines with the department while also handling the chief’s responsibilities.
“We tried chiefs from the outside and it wasn’t advantageous to us,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Foreman said. “Having that insider knowledge is paramount.
“Thank you for taking the job in these rough times. You have a long road ahead of you.”
The council also honored about 20 students from its sister city of Kushimoto, Japan. The contingent arrived in Hemet last week.
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