Bill Eddy

Gearhart Fire Chief Bill Eddy will stay on as interim fire chief until a new one is hired.

City Administrator Chad Sweet announced Eddy’s retirement earlier this year. City councilors unanimously approved retaining Eddy as interim chief at a meeting last Wednesday. Eddy has been with the fire department since 1981 and served as chief since 2000.

“Chief Eddy has done a fantastic job working for the city of Gearhart and I look forward to working with him in the process of finding the next chief for the city of Gearhart,” Sweet said. “They’ll have big shoes to fill.”

Gearhart will begin a search process that includes staff, the chief, residents and firefighters, Sweet said.

The agreement begins April 1 and ends July 1, and may be renewed for up to three additional months. As interim fire chief, Eddy will “initiate, administer and supervise all fire department services,” according to his interim employment contract.

The chief’s base salary will be $45 per hour, and he is expected to work about 30 hours a week. Among his tasks will be to cover City Council and district board meetings, drills and training, fire department meetings and fire department incident response.

Along with Eddy, Seaside Fire Chief Joey Daniels and other fire professionals will provide assistance in the process.

“We’ll be looking at advertising throughout the area and whittle things down,” Sweet said.