The application period for the Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief position ended July 2, yielding six candidates from within the department.
Copies of candidate resumes received by the Commercial pursuant to an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request revealed the candidates as Cpt. Fred Tisdale, PBFES Fire Marshal; Ernest L. Jones, PBFES Assistant Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator with the City of Pine Bluff; Lt. James M. Hipp, PBFES; Cpt. George Fallis, PBFES; Lt. Bruce Bailey, PBFES; and Lt. Harold Clark Jr.; PBFES Public Information Officer.
Information in the candidate’s resumes indicate the following:
• Tisdale has been with the department for 24 years, beginning as a firefighter in July of 1988. He has served as fire marshal since January 2008.
• Jones has been with PBFES for 19 years, serving as assistant fire marshal since November 2007 and as emergency management coordinator since March 2009.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
• Hipp has served with the PBFES since 1996, starting as a firefighter then moving on to engineer/driver and is currently lieutenant/station.
• Fallis began his career with PBFES in January 1986.
• Bailey started with PBFES in February 1999 as a firefighter before moving to engineer and is currently a lieutenant.
• Clark started with PBFES in July 2000.
Fire Chief Shauwn D. Howell is reviewing the resume submissions. No date has been announced on when a decision will be made.