The City of Salisbury, NC
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The City of Salisbury, NC |
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| P.O. Box 479, Salisbury, NC 28145-0479 | ||
| Salisbury Fire Department |
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Salisbury Fire Chief Retires!
Salisbury Fire Chief Sam Brady will retire May 1 after 34 years with the Fire Department. He has been chief for almost 19 years. City Manager David Treme made the announcement Tuesday toward the end of Salisbury City Council's four-hour meeting. Brady, who attends most City Council meetings with other department heads, was not in the Council Chambers when Treme delivered the news. Treme said he tried to get Brady to delay his retirement several times, but the chief wouldn't budge from May 1. "He has done an outstanding job," Treme said. Under Brady's direction, Salisbury has earned and maintained one of the best fire insurance ratings in the state. Treme said the chief, in his standard humble fashion, asked that no fuss be made in the weeks prior to his departure. But two receptions already are scheduled. The City Council will hold a reception for Brady from 3 to 4 p.m. April 20, prior to its next meeting. The Fire Department plans a reception for Brady from 2 to 4 p.m. April 28. Treme, who is in charge of appointing department heads, said he plans to promote from within the Fire Department and will make the announcement of Brady's successor by May 1. Mayor Susan Kluttz and Mayor Pro Tem Paul Woodson said they were happy that Treme planned to promote from within. Except for a year's hiatus in the early 1970s, Brady has been with the Salisbury Fire Department since 1969. He became a captain in 1978, a battalion chief in 1984 and assistant chief in 1985, about six months before being named chief, replacing Tedd Melvin. Then City Manager Harvey Mathias appointed Brady chief. The Fire Department now has 68 employees, covering three stations. Brady will be leaving at a time that the Fire Department is poised for expansion. The 2004-2005 budget is expected to include funds to build a fourth fire station, on Statesville Boulevard next to Godley's Nursery. Brady has voiced concerns in recent years about increasing response times to distant areas of the city, especially sections that have been annexed.
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