THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 TAG: 9607230266
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 32 lines
The city's Fire and Paramedical Services Department is slated to undergo a major reorganization this year, Assistant City Manager Sterling Cheatham said.
The new plan, which should be operational in late December or early January, calls for the appointment of a uniformed, professional fire and paramedic operations officer, to replace the department director position previously filled by a non-uniformed person. The officer will be the designated fire chief.
The department now has an acting director of fire and paramedical services, with the fire chief and the paramedical chief reporting to him. Fire Chief Carl Welch plans to retire in January. Donald Haupt is the paramedical chief and acting director of fire and paramedical services.
Instead of separate fire and paramedical divisions, the new structure will formally centralize administrative tasks, Cheatham said. An administrative services division will be formed to help the new director oversee responsibilities such as budget preparation, research and analysis, and personnel.
The changes were based on input from employees who felt the chief should be uniformed, said Cheatham, who supervises public safety functions.
``The overwhelming consensus was that the department structure should more strongly reflect the fact it operates in a fully merged capacity,'' Cheatham said. ``This not only signals our commitment to a totally cross-trained workforce, but it will also improve the communication, training, operation and protocols among staff.''
The shift will not have an impact on service calls, Cheatham said. by CNB