Radcliffe proposes additional fire captain, promotions to restore leadership after multiple retirements

Radcliffe city leaders proposed reorganizing the fire department’s command structure and funding promotions after several long‑tenured personnel retired this year, the council was told Tuesday.

Mayor and staff introduced Chief Tim Marsh (interim fire chief) and said multiple retirements — including a 41‑year volunteer, a 27‑year employee and others — had depleted institutional knowledge. City presenters described a plan modeled on the police structure with a fire chief, an administrative captain and an operational (daytime) captain. The plan would promote a lieutenant to the additional captain slot, cascade promotions down the line and add one firefighter in the final staffing count.

Finance staff presented an estimated net cost to implement the changes of about $81,000–$82,000 annually, funded in part by not filling the administrative assistant vacancy. "When everybody gets promoted... this progression would have happened... This is gonna add an extra 1, and this will give us an additional firefighter at the end of all this," a city presenter said. Council members asked about station capacity and whether two stations remain adequate; Chief Marsh said he is satisfied with two stations and that construction on the second station was nearly complete.

Council members and staff said the structure is intended to restore continuity, spread administrative workload and create promotional opportunities for long‑time firefighters. The mayor said staff will draft an ordinance amendment for the council’s first reading to implement the new slot and related pay changes.

No final ordinance vote was recorded in the transcript; staff said they will place an ordinance change on the council agenda for the next meeting.