Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 8, 1993 TAG: 9307080284
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Both moves follow City Council action last month approving Asbury's plan to reorganize the Fire Department into two divisions and creating the two new positions.
Roberts, 46, will head the Fire Suppression Division of six paid firefighters and up to 50 volunteers. Whitt will command the Fire Prevention and Enforcement Division, charged primarily with arson investigations. His new office will be in the Public Safety Building.
Roberts, the city treasurer and former first assistant fire chief, was the only nominee and the odds-on favorite for the chief's post.
He was elected by qualified volunteers Tuesday, but his election was not made public until Wednesday when Asbury approved it, as the reorganization plan now requires. Paid firefighters were not allowed to vote.
Other volunteer officers also were chosen during Tuesday's balloting.
Roberts, who will serve a one-year term and can run again, said Wednesday that creating harmony within the department is among his top priorities.
"I want to get everything back in order and everyone pulling together," he said.
The new chief conceded that morale within the department "has been down the past couple of years," something he blamed on bad publicity. "I look for morale to turn around."
Roberts, who said he's good friends with his predecessor, was first assistant chief for 15 years under Whitt and has been a volunteer firefighter for 32 years.
"It's not like I don't know how things should be run," he said.
But he also indicated things won't be run the same way as before, either.
"Some things will have to change," he said, citing a "completely different system" with a volunteer chief as opposed to a paid chief.
Roberts said the volunteers now will have a bigger voice in how the department is run, something he agrees will change the department's complexion. He said he plans to meet with the other new department officers this week to plan his strategy, and said new department by-laws are in the offing.
He'll also face a big recruiting challenge as he attempts to bring the number of active volunteers closer to the 50 now authorized.
"It's going to be difficult to find 50 people who are willing to give up that much time and go through the training," he said. He said about five new members have signed up in the past few weeks.
Roberts faces another election this November. He's unopposed for another four-year term as city treasurer, a job he's held since 1973.
The new chief graduated from Virginia Southern College in Roanoke. He's married and has two daughters.
Overall, the new chief said he's optimistic and looking forward to the challenge. "There are no problems that can't be solved real quickly," he predicted.
\ RADFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS\ \ Chief Martin R. "Jigger" Roberts\ \ First Assistant Chief Alban Shumate\ \ Second Assistant Chief Kenneth "Butch" Reed\ \ Captains Sam Bell and David Pannell\ \ Treasurer Jim Williamson\ \ Secretary Tom Huber\ \ Chaplain Carter Effler\ \ Sergeant-at-Arms Keith Reed
by CNB