GREENFIELD — In the end, Mayor Chuck Fewell promoted from within when selecting the person best qualified to oversee the Greenfield Fire Territory.
Brian Lott, a division chief and fire marshal with decades of experience, was introduced Monday, Aug. 31, as the city’s new fire chief.
“They were looking for someone to come in with some experience and I’ve got that with the hiring process, building stations and dealing with equipment,” Lott said. “I can have an easy transition coming into this department.”
Lott, 60, who was fire chief in Fishers for 14 years, was selected from an original list of nine candidates for the position after a nearly six month interview and hiring process slowed due to COVID-19.
Fewell made the announcement Monday afternoon, Aug. 31, at city hall after saying he put a lot of faith into the search committee that narrowed the number of candidates to three finalists, all officials with the department: Lott; the deputy chief of operations, Jason Horning; and division chief of emergency medical services, R.J. Beaver.
“All the candidates were outstanding, but Brian was just a little more outstanding in all the fields,” Fewell said. “I was looking for leadership ability, and he possesses those things I was looking for.”
Fewell admits that while challenges are ahead concerning pay and fire coverage, he thinks Lott’s experience will be a big asset in confronting them.
Lott replaces Chief Jimmy Roberts, who left the department in February to pursue other interests. Horning had been the acting chief since Roberts’ departure.
Lott, who was born and raised in Fishers, is the former chief of the Fishers Fire Department, where he spent 31 years, before coming to Greenfield as fire marshal in the fall of 2015.
“I’ve been here for five years, so I’ve got the lay of the land,” Lott said. “They were looking for someone connected to the community and I had a lot of experience in a chief’s role.”
A profile of the new chief will appear in the Wednesday edition of the Daily Reporter.
