By Joyce Owen

Destin Fire Control District Chief Tuffy Dixon, chairman of the search committee, said more than a dozen applications had been received in the fi rst week since the job had been posted on the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association Web site.
The committee is already reviewing the applications of early candidates as it seeks a replacement for South Walton Fire District Chief Les Hallman.
Tuffy anticipated receiving about 100 applications before the advertisement closed on Jan. 7.
The committee, which also includes SWFD Fire Commissioner Jack Abbit and Sandestin’s Human Resources manager Sylvia Hanks, met on Dec. 15 to begin the process.
The job description and requirements provide eight areas to evaluate prospective candidates including experience as a chief officer of a department of similar size.
“Although the criteria are a little bit loosely written,” Tuffy said, “that’s good.”
The applicants run the gamut from a fi refi ghter/ paramedic from central Florida to someone from a state or government job that oversees fi re service as a whole, probably a “paper pusher,” he said.
A candidate might not have all the requirements, but still could be selected, if he or she meets the needs of the district, which includes someone that has dealt with a growing district and is prepared for the growth that is anticipated in South Walton, Tuffy said.
“South Walton is a big department and it is going to get bigger,” he said.
“This position requires someone who can be a chief operations offi cer,” Abbit said. “This person sets the tone for the district.”
Hallman was selected by incoming Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink as the director of State Fire Marshall’s office in Tallahassee. He resigned as SWFD Chief on Dec. 4.
Deputy Chief Sean Hughes was already responsible for the day-to-day operations of the district and has accepted additional duties until a new fi re chief is selected.
The committee has scheduled meetings on Jan. 4 and 8 at 9 a.m. to review the candidates. Once the field has been narrowed to five to seven candidates, they will be invited to fi le a formal employment application. Abbit said the committee had a tentative target of Feb. 7 to meet and present the candidates to the Fire Board Commissioners for interviews.

SWFD Fire chief position still remains open
By Joyce Owen

After the fi rst candidate, Reedy Creek Fire District Fire Chief Ray Colburn said, “no thanks”, candidate number two, Gary Trulson, won’t be coming to South Walton either.
South Walton Fire District Fire Board Chairman Maurice Gilbert said after unsuccessful discussions with Joplin, Mo., Fire Chief Trulson, the district will head in a new direction.
“We are taking a different route,” Gilbert said. “We will investigate the use of a private consulting fi rm or head hunter to help with the selection.
“It’s not prudent to move too quickly. We want to be sure we get the right person that fits the organization,” he said.
Gilbert will give the Fire Board details at the March 5 meeting.
Deputy Chief Sean Hughes said using a private company to handle the search had been done before in South Walton to help find a new chief and he believed it was a good solution.
Although Hughes has said he was not interested in the position, he admitted that the right person for the job might not apply for the job, but would consider it if approached by a recruiter.
The SWFD Fire Commissioners created a search committee in December to find a replacement for Les Hallman who resigned to take over as the director of the State Fire Marshal’s office in Tallahassee.
“The Fire District is in great hands. We have capable and dependable deputy and assistant chiefs,” Gilbert said. “Les left us in really good shape.”
The Fire District needs an administrator that is capable of interfacing with the public, the Board of County Commissioners and the Fire Board, he said.
“We need someone who can show us a high degree of confidence that he can handle the job,” Gilbert said. “There’s somebody out there and we will fi nd them.”

My vote would be for Sean Hughes, if he would take it.

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