The city of Vernon has decided to go back to having two deputy fire chiefs. The department has gone about a year with just one deputy, but councillor Patrick Nicol says a second one --in charge of operations--was found to be needed. "You need that third person to kind of share some of the 24 hour responsibility of leadership within the fire department, so I think it's a good move." Councillor Jack Gilroy, a former deputy fire chief himself, agrees with Nicol. "The staff was starting to fall way behind, and the deputy position is a very important one in the fire hall, so now that we're replacing it, I think it will run a lot smoother." The position, which pays 130-thousand dollars a year, including benefits, will be posted to seek applicants.
