Tipp City hires fire and EMS chief; he’ll start job March 18

Cameron Haller, TIPP CITY — deputy fire chief in Sidney, has accepted the new position of Tipp City fire and emergency medical services chief.

Haller will be introduced at Monday’s meeting of the Tipp City Council, Tim Eggleston, city manager, confirmed.

“We are grateful that he accepted the position and look forward to working with him to guide the department to the next level, whatever that may be,” Eggleston said.

The city council earlier was notified of Haller’s selection. He will begin the job March 18, a start Eggleston said was delayed by Haller’s desire not short the Sidney department of staff after it recently lost two members. One person left the department and another died.

Haller was among 28 people who applied for the job. Eleven candidates were interviewed from a list then narrowed to six.

The city council this year agreed to advertise for a combined fire/EMS chief following the death in June of longtime Fire Chief Steve Kessler. The city also has a part-time EMS chief, Jeff Calicoat.

The job ad stated the fire/ EMS chief would plan activities of the fire and emergency medical services division and be responsible for the annual budget, statistical research, scheduling and monitoring of EMS billing, among other tasks. The chief would work with volunteer firefighters and volunteer and part-time EMS members.

City council discussed with Kessler for several years the eventual need to move toward a full-time department. At a February council strategic planning session, Kessler said he thought the city would be OK with a volunteer department set up for another three years.

Eggleston said hiring the chief would be the initial step in a transition of the departments.

The chief would be asked to guide the city by helping develop a long-term plan in conjunction with Monroe Twp. trustees that would include funding options, Eggleston said. The township shares in the cost of operating both the fire and EMS divisions.