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Seward County names Brady Steckel interim fire chief after chief's resignation
Summary
After Fire Chief Barclay and the county emergency management coordinator announced resignations, the Seward County Commission appointed fire district official Brady Steckel as interim fire chief and agreed to seek interim emergency-management support while staffing is reviewed.
The Seward County Commission on Feb. 24 appointed Brady Steckel as interim county fire chief after the county’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator resigned.
County staff told commissioners that Chief Barclay submitted his resignation the previous day and that emergency management coordinator Rosa Conley will leave on March 6. The staff member addressing the commission said fire personnel asked that John Steckel remain deputy chief and recommended appointing Brady Steckel as interim chief. “It is the wishes of the staff at this time that John Steckel would remain in his position as deputy chief,” the staff member said.
The staff member said the department identified short-term options for emergency-management coverage, including a retired trainer and personnel from neighboring jurisdictions who could provide interim help while the county determines a long-term structure. “One of the gentlemen has actually done a lot of the training that a lot of us have taken — Don Button. He is retired now,” the staff member said.
Brady Steckel, identified at the meeting as of the Sioux County Fire District, told commissioners firefighters are already stretched and that separating emergency management from the fire department would let crews focus on suppression. “I don’t want to stretch people too thin,” Steckel said. He recommended a debrief of recent incidents and suggested a work session to gather perspectives and plan changes.
Commissioner Stanton moved to appoint Steckel as interim fire chief; Commissioner Vasquez seconded. The appointment passed unanimously, 5-0.
The county directed staff to follow up on interim emergency-management options and complete the paperwork associated with the departures before the March 6 exit date for Chief Barclay and Conley. Commissioners scheduled a debriefing in advance of their March 2 meeting to review recent operations and coordination.
What happens next: staff will contact the interim candidates identified by fire personnel, finalize interim assignments for emergency-management coverage, and handle human-resources paperwork associated with the resignations.
