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Edgerton Fire District hires chief, deputy chief

JANESVILLE — The Edgerton Fire Protection District decided to stick with its two top volunteers by offering them paid, full-time positions of fire chief and deputy chief Thursday night.

The position of fire chief was offered to Brian Demrow, and the position of deputy chief was offered to Ryan Beckwith, according to a district news release.

The field of candidates was narrowed down, and four people were interviewed, the Gazette confirmed.

All candidates interviewed had the qualifications sought by the district. But after discussion, the recommendation was to hire Demrow and Beckwith, the release said.

The decision to hire them was unanimous, said Evan Sayre, Fulton Town chairman, who also is a fire district commission member.

Both men were hired because “everything they've done for us so far, they've been able to handle, know what we want, where we want to go, and they're good people,'' Sayre said.

Neither Demrow nor Beckwith could be reached for comment this morning.

They are welcome to start as soon as they can, Sayre said.

Realistically, that could be a couple of weeks, Sayre said, noting they both will have to give notice regarding their current jobs. Demrow of Edgerton is an Edgerton Public Works employee. Beckwith owns Beckwith Painting in Edgerton.

The chief's salary will be $52,500 a year, while the deputy chief will be paid $50,000, Sayre said.

Demrow and Beckwith recommended the district hire full-time officers during its planning of the 2009 budget. They said in an earlier story the jobs have become too cumbersome for volunteers.

The district then set aside $160,000 in this year's budget for both full-time chief and deputy chief positions. The decision was made just four months after the district settled with three fired employees who fought a five-year legal battle with the district, claiming they were fired in 2003 for joining a union. The district, however, said they were laid off for financial reasons.

In June, the employees agreed to resign from the fire department if the district gave them nearly $600,000 in back pay and attorney fees. Money the district had been setting aside each year for the fired employees now will be used to pay the two full-time salaries.