On Monday WEIS Radio sat down with Centre’s new Fire Chief Will Gardner to give him an opportunity to introduce himself to the community.

The Centre City Council voted to hire Gardner during their September 12th council meeting.

Centre Mayor Tony Wilkie said that the Fire Committee went through the applications and interviewed with one applicant emerging to the top. The council agreed to start Gardner at a salary of $35,000 per year.

Gardner resides on County Road 44 in Cedar Bluff. He has been with the Guntersville Fire Department since January 2017. From March 2015 through June 2017, he was with the City of Midfield Fire Department and from September 2013 through March 2015, he was with the Carroll County Fire Department.

From May 2008 through June 2013, Gardner worked for the City of Smyrna Fire Department and from August 2003 to January 2014, he worked for the Haralson County Fire Department.

Gardner has completed multiple certifications including being an Alabama and Georgia Certified Paramedic; Pro-Board Firefighter 1 and 2; Fire Officer 1; Fire Department Supervision; Arson Detection First Responder; Leadership 1, 2 & 3; Fire Instructor I; Haz-Mat Tech; Incident Safety Officer; Acting Officer in Charge; Transitional and Interpersonal Leadership Training; Basic Emergency Response to Terrorism in addition to several others.

Gardner says that he is excited to be a part of the community and looks forward to continued growth within the department.