Doug Bess, who served with the Salida Fire Department for 29 years, and has been Chief since 2012, retired as of October 31. Although there has been no formal retirement announcement from the City of Salida, the Fire Chief position has already been posted.
Breaking ground for the new Salida Multi-use Facility on August 1 are, left to right: DOLA Representative Christy Doon, Former Salida Police Chief Terry Clark, current Salida Police Chief Russ Johnson, Public Works Director David Lady, Mayor PT Woods, Fire Chief Doug Bess, Interim City Administrator Theresa Casey, Public Works Admin Deri Clark, Councilman Rusty Granzella, Councilwoman Cheryl Brown-Kovacic. Photo by Erin Kelley.
Bess, at the time of his retirement, had presided over changes such as an increase in the number of firefighters assigned to each shift,and coordinated the construction of the Salida Multi-use Facility on the western end of Salida, which provided not just storage, but more planning time to prepare to address the city’s need to address the shortfalls of the aging Salida Fire Station.
After years of effort, he has just successfully led the charge for a new Salida Fire Station. That roughly $17 million project, years in the planning, will be breaking ground on November 3. The groundbreaking for the station at 611 Oak Street in Salida is set for 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 3 and it is open to the public.
The Fire Chief leads two separate entities, the Salida Fire Department and the South Arkansas Fire Protection District (SAFPD). The Fire Chief is responsible for wildfire control efforts in the region as well as fires within Salida city limits.
The filing deadline for applicants is December 6, 2023.
Featured image: artists sketch of the new Salida Fire Station.
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