An emergency meeting of the Gadsden Civil Service Board was called Thursday with one purpose to discuss naming a new interim fire chief, to serve until the board can interview five remaining candidates for the job and name someone to lead the department.
The board did. Board President Alice Pruett said Mayor Sherman Guyton had recommended Assistant Chief Craig Cannon as the new interim chief, and the board approved his appointment.
For some Gadsden firefighters, however, there is a larger discussion that needs to occur about the culture within the department, and what they see as a failure of the department to properly discipline a member of their ranks.
The Gadsden Civil Service Board has called an emergency meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Board President Alice Pruett said the board is expected to discuss appointment of a new acting fire chief, after the interim chief filed paperwork to retire.
Assistant Chief Jim Matlock served as interim chief since the retirement of Chief Stephen Carroll.
Pruett said the city has received six applications for the chief s job, all from within the fire department. She said Matlock also removed his name from consideration for the chief s job, leaving five applicants.