County Fire Department Will Hire New Chief In 2026, Board Says
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Robert Moore
Herald Staff
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The Mercer County Fire Protection Board will not hire a permanent chief until next year. Glenn Phillips resigned as chief back in August for health reasons.
Chris Dean is currently serving as interim chief. Dean has been with the district for more than 30 years.
The board held a special-called meeting on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Immediately after calling the meeting to order, they went into executive session to discuss hiring a new fire chief.
After the executive session, no action was taken. The board will interview each candidate for the fire chief position at the beginning of the year.
Board member Dan Eades said all of the candidates will be provided with a job description. Volunteers man the county fire department, but the county fire chief is a full-time position. The successful applicant will be expected to be at Station 12 in McAfee most of each day.
“We’ll schedule an interview session,” Eades said. Several applicants attended the special-called meeting. Eades told them to “study the job description.”
The salary has not been decided. Eades said it wouldn’t be less than $40,000 and possibly up to $50,000 starting pay plus incentives.
Phillips died in September at the age of 61. At the time of his resignation, he told the Harrodsburg Herald that he had a condition called myasthenia gravis, “a neuromuscular disorder that leaves me very fatigued, tired and pretty much useless.”
“I lasted as long as I could,” Phillips said.
