Charles City Fire Department, Others Face Volunteer Challenges

How the Charles City Fire Department will be staffed moving forward remains to be seen.

The City has been weighing their options for future staffing of the department with full-time versus part-time personnel and volunteers as the City’s budget continues to get tighter. 

Outgoing Fire Chief Eric Whipple says that has caused the department to continue to get smaller.

Even if the City continues to employ only one or two full-time positions, Whipple notes that filling out the fire department staffs with volunteers isn’t easy.

Whipple’s last day as Charles City Fire Chief is this Wednesday (Nov. 2) and he will become Emergency Management Coordinator for Cerro Gordo County later this month.

Marty Parcher will serve as interim fire chief.