Roy Culpepper, Phenix City Police Chief, will Double Duty as Fire Chief

Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, GA)
Tuesday, March 4, 1997, Section: LOCAL, Page: B3
Patsy J. Thomas, Staff Writer

Phenix City Police Chief Roy Culpepper has 48 additional employees, but they're not police officers.

Culpepper, who has been police chief for about 10 years, is Phenix City's interim fire chief for the next 90 days. He replaces Solomon Denard, who retired Friday.

Culpepper spent Monday visiting the city's three fire stations and meeting with some of the city's 48 firefighters.

"I am not an applicant for the position," Culpepper said Monday, during a visit to Fire Station No. 3. "I will not apply for the position. I need to be doing what I do best - and that's police work."

The search for Denard's replacement will expand to include internal and external candidates.

Phenix City Manager Bobby Gaylor said he selected Culpepper because of his administrative skills.

"Roy is serving in an administrative capacity comparable to a public administration director," Gaylor said.

Conducting an in-house evaluation of the fire department and assessing its needs will be Culpepper's main responsibility during the interim period, Gaylor said.

Culpepper said he expects to put in longer hours. He'll also gain two assistant fire chiefs - Don Ivey and Lester Thornton.

"I talked to people today and they were not upset," Thornton said. "We want to move forward."

Gaylor pointed out that Culpepper is not the first department head to serve in dual roles.

For example, City Planner Greg Glass served as utilities director and engineering department head.

Culpepper said he'll meet with the remaining firefighters today and Wednesday. Among them will be Sgt. Dennis Duty, president of the Phenix City Firefighters Association No. 3668.

"Everybody's going to go into this with an open mind. I and the association will work with him to get the things we need for this department."

Culpepper Ancestry. Roy K. Culpepper (#49924) is the son of Edward Charles Culpepper.