New emergency services structure announced

After the Whitney City Council met in a special executive session Tuesday, August 27, the city announced the restructuring of the city’s emergency services and the resignation of Fire Chief David Gilmore.

In a statement released the following day, the city said that Gilmore and his family are preparing to transition to a new home in Colorado.

“Last night, the City Council convened in a special executive session and, with heavy hearts, accepted Chief Gilmore’s resignation,” the statement read. “In light of this development, the council has taken decisive action to ensure the continued excellence of our emergency services.”

The new structure includes a merger of the city’s fire and EMS departments and the creation of a director of emergency services position.

City officials say that this is a strategic move designed to streamline emergency response capabilities and improve coordination, efficiency and the overall level of care provided to the community.

“With over 90% of our Emergency Medical Technicians already fire-certified, this merger will enable our emergency medical teams to respond comprehensively to fire and medical emergencies,” last Wednesday’s statement read.

“All firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians and their current leadership will be under the direction of the newly created director of emergency services position. The City of Whitney believes this restructuring will ensure the highest quality of emergency services for our residents,” it continued.

The city says the new director will be a critical liaison between the city administration and the volunteer fire department while overseeing the emergency medical services division.
The city is currently developing a detailed job description for the director of emergency services position and anticipates posting the job opening and accepting applications soon.

“We appreciate the community’s support as we navigate this transition period and work toward ensuring the highest level of safety and care for all our residents,” the statement concluded.