RFD hires 2 as full-time firefighters
RUSSELLVILLE – Two part-time firefighters have been hired full-time to fill two vacancies that recently occurred as the result of one termination and one retirement.
City council members approved the hiring of Tanner Gunter and Aaron Lynch based on the recommendation of Fire Chief Joe Mansell.
Councilman Jamie Harris made the motion Gunter and Lynch be hired, and Councilman Gary Cummings seconded. There was no opposition.
They are filling spots vacated by the March 17 termination of Andy DeVaney and the upcoming June 1 retirement of Lt. Denny Davis.
Lynch is the first student to be hired from the Russellville High School fire science program, an initiative created to allow young people the opportunity to see what it would be like to work in this field. He started working parttime at RFD in June last year.
Lynch said he enjoys being able to help people on their worst days. When his brother was killed in an accident in 2017, that sparked an interest for him to help people.
“I saw some firemen at the school during a career day and asked about it and started volunteering and it just kept going from there,” Lynch said.
Gunter, who was part-time at the RFD for a year and a half, is from Double Springs. He started volunteering for the Ashridge and Double Springs volunteer fire departments when he was around 16 years old. RFD is his first paid firefighter job.
“I enjoy helping people,” Gunter said. “When you see people on their worst days and you’re able to help them out, it kind of just brings a little joy into your heart.”
Lt. Chris Watkins, an RFD paramedic, believes both are good full-time additions.
“They’ve been with us part-time, and we already know them and know their work ethic is great,” Watkins said.
Mansell said he’s had the privilege to hire around 95% of the firefighters working for the fire department today.
“We have several young employees in the fire department that we’re very proud of, and it was an honor to recommend these two because this is more than likely going to be the last opportunity I’ll get to hire anybody into the fire service,” Mansell said.
His last day before retirement is Sept. 30. Deputy Chief Randy Seal will take over as fire chief after that. Mansell plans to stay on part-time.
“I couldn’t have asked to have hired two better guys than Tanner Gunter and Aaron Lynch,” Mansell said. “There’s several who are going to be retiring, so to have the quality of young guys we have that are going to be moving up is unbelievable when you go around and look at a bunch of departments throughout the state.”
“Hiring these two is going to be a major benefit and it was an honor to be able to call both of their names out,” Mansell said.
