Friday, January 21, 2000
Lockland hires first full-time fire chief
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LOCKLAND — The village has hired Bill Welshans, 48, to be its first full-time fire chief. Mr. Welshans replaces part-time chief Gary Wehmeyer, who retired.
A Lockland fireman for 23 years — 15 of them as the village's only full-time firefighter — Mr. Welshans had been employed since July with Union Township's fire department.
He returned to Lockland because he felt his experience with its firefighting operation qualified him to address the challenges it faces. Chief among them, he said, is recruiting and retaining EMS workers.
“I know the community, I know the fire personnel, past and present, and I know what sort of problems there are,” Mr. Welshans said.
Village officials created a full-time fire chief's position to help alleviate low staffing during the day, when members of the largely volunteer force are at work, said Mayor Jim Brown.
The move also saves more than $14,000 a year by combining the positions of part-time chief and full-time firefighter, the mayor said.
As a full-time firefighter, Mr. Welshans earned $31,000 a year. The part-time chief's salary was $8,300, but he made almost $25,000 last year because firefighters get paid a stipend for each call to which they respond.
As the full-time chief, Mr. Welshans will earn $41,500 a year to supervise a department of about 30 firefighters and 13 EMS providers.
Mayor Brown praised Mr. Welshans' organization skills and pointed out the years that Mr. Welshans served as the village's fire inspector as evidence he'll succeed as chief.
Mr. Wehmeyer, who served with the Lockland Fire Department for 23 years, turned in his retirement notice Christmas Eve.
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