SIDNEY — The Sidney Department of Fire & Emergency Services announced the promotions of Fire Lieutenant Dallas Davis to assistant chief and Firefighter Keith Wiley to lieutenant Friday.
Davis and Wiley will be officially sworn-in by Mayor Mike Barhorst at 4 p.m. Monday at Sidney Fire Station No. 1., 222 W. Poplar St.
The Civil Service Commission certified Sidney firefighters’s scores and ranking Thursday morning for the Sidney Fire assistant chief position and on March 28 for the lieutenant positions.
Davis’ total written test score and assessment center score ranked higher than fellow Fire Lieutenant Mark Barga, who also tested for the position.
Between Wiley’s total written test score and assessment center score, he scored second highest, behind Ryan Heitman, who was promoted first to lieutenant on April 8. Heitman ranked the highest among the six other firefighters vying for the open lieutenant position that was left vacant after Lt. Tony McLain’s sudden passing last November. Upon Davis’ promotion to assistant chief, a second lieutenant position then became available, of which Wiley is being promoted.
Also taking the test for lieutenant were firefighters Greg Francis, Wes Goubeaux, Brian Lundy, Anthony Marchal and Bryan Ramge.
Sidney Human Resources Manager Vickie Allen said results of the firefighters’s rankings are valid for two years, if a higher ranking position becomes open within that time frame.
According to Sidney Fire Chief Brad Jones’s press release, Davis started with Sidney as a firefighter/paramedic in 2004. He came to Sidney after being previously employed as a fire apprentice with Dayton Fire Department and as a firefighter/paramedic with Miami Township Fire Department. Davis has an associates degree in fire administration from Sinclair Community College and is a 2001 graduate of Long Beach High School in Mississippi.
He was awarded the Sidney Firefighter of the Year in 2014 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2015.
Davis resides in Sidney with his wife, Bridget, and their three children.
Wiley started with Sidney as a firefighter/EMT in 2001. He came to Sidney after being a medical specialist in the U.S. Army and being employed at Wilson Health (formerly Wilson Memorial Hospital) as an emergency room technician. He received an associates degree in applied science/EMS fire science from Sinclair in 2017 and is a 1992 graduate of Sidney High School.
Wiley resides in Sidney with his wife and their two children.
The Sidney Department of Fire and Emergency Services has been in the process of making several position changes due the March retirement of Deputy Fire Chief Cameron Haller, McLain’s passing and two other predicted retirements over the next year.
After internal promotions are awarded, there will be two immediate vacancies among the three fire crews that work every third day. All three assistant chiefs were eligible to apply for the deputy fire position, of which Chad Hollinger was promoted to on April 28. Hollinger’s promotion then left a vacant assist chief position.
All five of the lieutenants were eligible to apply for the empty assistant chief position, of which Davis is being sworn-in for on May 13. Davis’ promotion then left a vacant lieutenant position, of which Wiley is being sworn-in for also on Monday.
Thirteen of the remaining firefighters were eligible to apply for the open lieutenant position left after McLain’s passing, of which Ryan Heitman was promoted to on April 8. These promotions will leave two firefighter vacancies that need to be filled. Then later in the year, after two others retire, two more firefighters will need to be added.
