Members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees unanimously and enthusiastically supported and approved three promotions in the township fire department during their most recent meeting.
At the recommendation of Fire Chief Rick Brown, Capt. Michael McHenry was promoted to the rank of battalion chief, John Crushman was promoted from battalion chief to deputy chief and Capt. Walt Thompson was promoted to battalion chief.
The trustees each voted “absolutely” or “expeditiously” yes on the promotions. Trustee Don LaPorte noted that these were spots in the department that had been open for some time and that these were “top notch people for sure.”
He explained that the promotions were not just assigned as rote, but that each firefighter had invested a “lot of hard work and training hours on the job to earn the new ranks.”
“They do a bang up job and even stepped that up, especially during the COVID situation,” he said.
Following the vote, Trustee Tim Rush suggested to Brown that the fire fighters watch the meeting vote to witness first hand the enthusiastic support board members had for each of them and the entire fire department.
Township Clerk Esther Hurst was excused from the meeting.
