Search On For New Chief

The search has begun for a new fire chief in Defi­ance.

A meet­ing is set for Tues­day to dis­cuss replac­ing Dave Schmaltz, the for­mer fire chief who left at the end of Jan­u­ary to take a posi­tion in Bat­tle Creek, Michi­gan.

Right now, Assis­tant Fire Chief Tim Bowl­ing is serv­ing as the act­ing chief.

Bowl­ing has expressed inter­est in apply­ing for the chief’s posi­tion, and plans to take the civil ser­vice test.

The civil ser­vice com­mis­sion is expected to lay out the pro­ce­dure for hir­ing the new chief at next week’s meet­ing.

Accord­ing to the 2014 bud­get, the chief’s pay was set at $70,000.