HNFD to hire assistant chief

After a heated discussion, the Holley-Navarre Fire District fire commissioners approved hiring an assistant fire chief.

The proposed budget includes funding for an assistant fire chief, but Fire Chief Ron Norton said the commissioners could take it out if they didn’t want to fill the position.

Fire Commissioner Shannon Stone said the department needed better financial stability before deciding whether to fund an assistant chief.

Fire Commissioner Lauretta Aiken said the department needed an assistant chief to relieve Norton because she didn’t want him to get burned out like the last chief, Les Slocum.

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