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East Bethel swears in new fire chief, promotes deputy and adds experienced firefighter
Summary
The council sworn in Jeff Siloca as fire chief, promoted Ben Uden to deputy chief of operations and welcomed firefighter David Bailey after an expedited hiring process; interim chief Jerry Scribe summarized recruitment and department activity.
East Bethel on May 28 held a swearing-in and promotion ceremony for its fire department as the council approved a new chief and other staffing moves.
Interim Chief Jerry Scribe introduced Jeff Siloca as the new fire chief and described Siloca’s background as a paramedic with more than 20 years of experience, including roles as a training officer and emergency services director. Siloca recited the oath of office and received a pinning and promotion ceremony at the council meeting.
Scribe also announced the promotion of Ben Uden to deputy chief of operations, citing Uden’s experience and training-role history, and the hiring of David Bailey, described by staff as a 15-year veteran firefighter. Scribe said the department received nine applications during the most recent hiring process and that the new leadership team will focus on training, equipment readiness and improving morale.
Siloca and Scribe provided departmental statistics for April: 65 calls total, including 38 medical calls, 14 good-intent calls, seven fires, three service calls, two hazardous-condition calls and one false alarm. The council and interim chief discussed improvements in training, recruitment and the department’s transition to more professionalized leadership.
No council motion was required to swear in the chief; the formal appointment and oath took place at the meeting and staff recorded the promotions and hires in personnel records.
