Bailey named fire chief

MADISON – Madison City Council has offered the position of Fire Chief of Madison Fire and Rescue Department to David Bailey.

Currently, Bailey is working Fire Chief and Fire Marshal for the City of Harriman, Tenn. This department has 18 members.

Council held a special meeting on April 4 to authorize Mayor Paul Finley to negotiate with Bailey for his contract. Finley and Council President Tommy Overcash told the media that Bailey satisfies all established criteria for the job and believe Bailey can lead the department in an efficient, professional manner.

In other jobs, Bailey worked 36 years with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS in Virginia. This department employed 485 personnel. He worked as dispatcher, firefighter, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, deputy director of training and safety, administrative officer and finally as battalion chief for 10 years.

Also in Virginia, Bailey worked with Goodwill Industries and Powhatan County Emergency Management. He has worked at chief level (battalion chief to fire chief) about 11 years and as sergeant to captain about 10 years.

Bailey received a bachelor’s degree in safety and risk administration, master’s degree in public administration and completed Executive Fire Officer Program.

The other two finalists for the position were Brandy Williams and Andy Woody.

Williams has been serving as Acting Fire Chief for City of Madison and has worked in the department since 1998. Williams also has served as firefighter, driver, captain and deputy chief. She has worked at the chief level (deputy chief to acting chief) for one year and as captain six years.

Woody works as Training Chief for Searcy, Ark. with 59 employees. Previously, he worked 18 years with Springfield, Mo. Fire Department with 220 personnel. He has served as firefighter, training captain, shift captain, battalion chief and assistant fire chief. Woody has worked at chief level (battalion chief to assistant chief) about 7.5 years and as captain about 9.5 years.

Bailey will fill the slot that has been open since last October when then Fire Chief Ralph Cobb retired. On April 15, 2016, then mayor Troy Trulock placed Cobb on administrative leave because a complaint was filed that claimed age discrimination in a training class named “Generational Differences.” Cobb taught the class in early 2016.

Bailey’s contract will run through 2020.