The Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire and Rescue Department is searching for a replacement for longtime chief Bill Calhoun, who announced last year that he plans to retire sometime this year.

The board of the two-township Fire and Rescue Authority held a special meeting last Wednesday, Feb. 20, to discuss the “fire chief succession” issue, having delayed a discussion originally scheduled for the board’s regular monthly meeting on Feb. 12.

Board chairman Rich Bahle, who also serves as the Suttons Bay Township supervisor, explained that one issue facing the board with regard to replacing the chief involves the department’s budget. Calhoun, who has been working part-time as chief, has been paid $15,000 per year.

But Calhoun’s tenure as chief and as a member of the department predates the shift about a decade ago from an all-volunteer department with only basic life support ambulance service to a department now staffed 24/7 by full-time, paid professionals who can provide advanced life support emergency medical service.

A “search committee” established by the board had recommended that Calhoun be replaced by a full-time chief, but Bahle said it was not clear how much the department’s budget would be impacted. At last week’s special meeting, Bingham Township trustee Mary Bush, who serves as a member of the Fire & Rescue Authority board, presented a list of standards for department chiefs, established by a national fire prevention association.

Standards agreed to by the board call for the new chief to be certified both as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician with a minimum of three years experience as a fire command officer. New fire chief applicants will also be required to establish permanent residency in Suttons Bay or Bingham townships within six to nine months of employment.

Following the discussion, Bush was directed to contact other fire departments and the Michigan Townships Association to learn more about their requirements for fire chiefs as well as salary requirements. Also at issue in the board’s discussions have been questions regarding whether a new chief would be selected from those already within the department, or whether a broader search would be conducted.

In action at its Feb. 12 meeting, the fire board decided to split the duties of fire department administrator and firefighter/paramedic Gary McGhee who has been serving both as a business manager for the department as well as working in a supervisory capacity. The board turned responsibility for direct supervision of department personnel over to paramedic Al Chimoski and retain McGhee as business manager.

“There is just too much work to do for one position,” Bahle explained. “The list of responsibilities is huge, and needed to be broken up,” he said.

McGhee, meanwhile, has been hired to work part-time for the Glen Arbor Fire and Rescue Department but will continue to work as administrator for Suttons Bay-Bingham.