The city of McMinnville has a new fire chief, or will have one as of April 1 – no April Fools intended. Keith Martin has made it through the selection process and is set to begin his duties as the city’s new fire chief on April Fools Day.
The new fire chief began his career in the fire service in 1992 as a volunteer firefighter in central California. He has since worked his way through the ranks of the fire system serving in the following capacities: firefighter, driver engineer, captain and fire chief.
Since 2010, Martin has served as fire chief for the city of Burley, Idaho. The department is Emergency Medical Responder certified and has 10 full-time firefighters and 20 volunteers.
The city of Burley was founded in 1905 and is the city seat for Cassia County. Cassia has a population of 23,186, with 10,447 located within the city limits.
Martin currently possesses an associate’s degree in fire science and is currently working on completing his bachelor’s degree in fire administration.
He will be joined in McMinnville by his wife and two children. Martin says he is excited to move to Tennessee.
“Moving to McMinnville will place us closer to family members that reside in the Nashville area,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to working with the members of the McMinnville Fire Department.”
Martin will begin his responsibilities in three weeks. Residency within the city is required within 90 days of employment for department directors.
Salary for the fire chief position is dependent on experience and qualifications, with a salary range set between $58,846 and $85,252. Martin’s contract is for $70,179 a year.