Smithville Adds Full Time Firefighter

The Smithville Fire Department is adding its first full time firefighter to assist the fire chief.

Smithville Alderman approved the hiring of Dalton Roberts Monday night.

Smithville Fire Chief Charles Parker said he hopes adding a full time firefighter will help decrease response time and increase safety. He said there are already plans for how they will be used.

“We’ll use him in a number of different ways,” Parker said. “From public education, to maintenance in the vehicles, check offs, grounds maintenance, it will be a whole variety of things.”

Parker said the new firefighter has volunteered for 6 years. When the Smithville Fire Department felt they had the right person to bring forward, it gave its recommendation.

“We come out with one that we recommended to the city administrator to move forward with,” Parker said. “We had a meeting and interviewed with him, and hired him from that.”

Parker said the department is still looking to add more personnel in the future. Which Parker said will help with coverage and preparedness.

“It’s just part of steps to make it our overall goal of making it better for our residents of Smithville,” Parker said.

Parker said the hire is based on anonymous scoring, a high confidence level and interviews with emergency response officials.