Pritchard Appointed as Fire Chief

Pritchard Appointed as Fire Chief

Longtime Belton firefighter Bruce Pritchard was sworn-in today as the new Fire Chief of the Belton Fire Department.

Pritchard was appointed by City Manager Sam Listi, with the City Council later confirming the appointment in a special meeting today. Pritchard fills the vacancy left by Chief Francisco Corona, who retired on July 14, 2015.

Pritchard, a former Asstant Chief, was the sole internal applicant, and the subject of an intensive evaluation process that included assessment from an interview team comprised of City Manager Listi, Assistant City Manager/Police Chief Gene Ellis, Human Resources Director Charlotte Walker, and a team of Belton Fire Department personnel.

“In Bruce Pritchard’s 25-year tenure with the Belton Fire Department he has risen through the ranks, serving as firefighter, paramedic, Captain, and Assistant Chief. He has played a leadership role in all local incidents during his career, and is a good fit for the Department at this time” said City Manager Listi.

Some career highlights for Pritchard include:

• Incident Commander for largest structure fire in Belton’s history – Indeco Sales in 2007
• Incident Commander for hurricane disaster program for Hurricanes Katrina and Ike
• Facilitated planning for City’s first aerial ladder truck; addition of Station 2 on Sparta Road; and developed specifications for the Pierce Pumper purchased this year
• Served as Interim Fire Chief twice: 2009 and 2011
• Helped implement the City’s flood alert program along Nolan Creek following the 2010 flood