By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
With Brent Smith being appointed fire chief of the Great Bend Fire
Department in June, the search began to find his replacement for the deputy
chief position. The Fire Department looked internally and publicly announced Thursday that Jim Schmeidler will be promoted to serve as the deputy fire
chief.
"I was very excited," said Schmeidler. "To be second in command of this fire department after 30 years of working here means something."
RELATED STORY: Great Bend looking internally first for deputy fire chief position
Schmeidler worked at Superior Essex in Hoisington prior to starting at the Great
Bend Fire Department. He was asked if he wanted to serve as volunteer
firefighter in Hoisington on his off days at Superior Essex. After six years in
Hoisington, Schmeidler came to GBFD in 1994.
Starting as a firefighter and EMT,
Schmeidler is ready to take on new responsibilities.
"I'll be doing a lot of the same things I was doing as the Division Chief, but now I'll take on more responsibility of supervising people."
Schmeidler was promoted to Captain in 2005, Battalion Chief in 2020 and
Division Chief of Fire in 2022.