The Town of Innisfail is on the hunt for a new fire chief.
Dean Clark was terminated without cause from his position as Innisfail Fire Department chief on Sept. 7, Helen Dietz, Town of Innisfail CAO confirmed last week.
“The town's going in a different direction,” she said.
The search for a replacement has begun. In the meantime, department affairs are being handled by a deputy chief and two assistant chiefs, Dietz said.
Service is not expected to be impacted, she said.
Clark started his position Dec. 1, 2014 after the termination of the previous fire chief Dan Ross, who served as Innisfail's fire chief for eight months.
Under Clark's tenure with the department, a new pay grid for firefighters was instituted.
Effective January of this year, members of the department have been paid according to the amount of time they've spent with the department and the training they've completed as a result.
“The new pay grid much more accurately reflects the manner in which the Innisfail Fire Department is structured,” said Clark in a press release announcing the change in pay. “We hope that, by compensating firefighters appropriately, we can continue to attract and attain a solid membership base for this vital community service.”
Previous to the new pay grid, all firefighters were compensated at the same hourly rate which they earned while attending emergency calls, training sessions, meetings and vehicle inspections.
The new pay grid was expected to lower department expenditures this year compared to 2015.
While it is business as usual right now, Dietz said an overall review of the department's policies will now be conducted.
Among the areas that will be under review are service levels and response to calls, she said.
