On Friday September 24, 2021, the Board of the Nederland Fire Protection District appointed Captain Charlie Schmidtmann as acting chief while the board searches for a new permanent chief. The decision to appoint internally was made by the board at the last meeting as no external candidates had been found.

The job was posted internally, and Captain Schmidtmann and Fire Marshal Henrikson applied for the role. Both candidates were well qualified for the position with a combination of experience and qualifications.

A search panel consisting of the current board and two representatives selected by the volunteer membership met with the candidates and posed questions about how they could best move the department forwards and their plans should they be appointed. Both candidates made strong arguments for taking on the role and presented some positive ideas on how to improve the department in the future.

The interview board was impressed by both candidates and the final decision was a tough choice.

Captain Schmidtmann has been with the department for 23 years, first as a volunteer then employed as a shift officer. Schmidtmann holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, paramedic and fire inspector certifications among other certifications.

Fire Marshal Henrikson will continue in his current role and continue the important work that he does working with the town and county on fire codes and building reviews and improving the fire resilience of our community.

The board is continuing to proceed through the process of finding a new chief and the national search posting has started this week. The desired timeline for appointing a new chief is early January.

For more information about Nederland Fire Department, check out https://www.nfpd.org/.