<p>Two new leaders will take the helm at the Franklin Fire Department.</p>
<p>The new chief of the city’s 48 firefighters wants to increase education programs, and will likely help decide what to do about an aging fire station.</p>
<p>Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett announced Monday he has chosen Matt Culp to lead the department. Culp will take over the department Jan. 1. Justin Lollar was named deputy chief. Culp will make $73,262 in 2020.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>Dan McElyea resigned the top leadership position Oct. 4, according to a resignation letter signed by him to Barnett. McElyea will step down to become a merit captain. His deputy, Andrew Tames, is also stepping down, but will continue to serve as a firefighter with the department, Barnett said.</p>
<p>McElyea served the department as chief for about 4½ years. He led the department through several changes, including the purchase of a new fire truck, Barnett said. He was appointed by former Franklin mayor Joe McGuinness.</p>
<p>“Dan has done a great job and said he is willing to do whatever he needs to do to help the new chief transition into what’s best for the fire department,” Barnett said.</p>
<p>McElyea made the decision to hand over the reins voluntarily, Barnett and McElyea both said.</p>
<p>McElyea’s first grandchild was born recently, and he cited events in his personal life as reasons for his decision to step down.</p>
<p>“I got an opportunity to do something in my non-fire department job life and it was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up,” McElyea said.</p>
<p>He would not elaborate on what that opportunity is.</p>
<p>A disciplinary case against a Franklin firefighter, Lt. Dennis Bordenkecher, who is accused of harassing female paramedics and retaliating against a fellow firefighter by withholding directions to an emergency scene, is pending.</p>
<p>Franklin Fire Merit Commission members decided in August they wanted more information before deciding if or how to punish Bordenkecher. The hearing has been rescheduled, but a date has not been set.</p>
<p>Internal charges were filed against Bordenkecher, a 21-year veteran of the Franklin Fire Department, earlier this year. A hearing on his proposed discipline was scheduled in August, but Bordenkecher offered to accept losing his rank, rather than proceed with the evidentiary hearing. Other proposed sanctions, such as prohibiting him from ever testing for promotion again or the merit board assigning him a station and shift, were removed because state law does not give the board that authority.</p>
<p>The merit board, which oversees the hiring, promotion, some discipline and termination of firefighters, was asked to consider accepting his admission and demotion, and met privately to discuss the matter for about 15 minutes. The board decided unanimously that it could not accept the demotion as a resolution at this time.</p>
<p>The incident involving Bordenkecher was brought up to those seeking the job, Barnett said, and the candidates were asked how they would have handled other disciplinary issues that may arise.</p>
<p>All but one of the candidates interviewed work for the Franklin Fire Department. Culp was Barnett’s choice for the job because some of his goals, such as increasing educational programs, matched Barnett’s, the mayor said.</p>
<p>“Matt really stood out in the interview because he came with a whole list of, ‘OK, here is what I see we can improve on,’ and we talked about that list,” Barnett said.</p>
<p>Culp is a captain with the Franklin Fire Department and has worked for the city for 23 years. He grew up in Martinsville, but has lived in Franklin for more than two decades and raised his family in the city.</p>
<p>One of his biggest goals is to increase community outreach and educational programs. For example, he’s an advocate of going into Head Start, Girls Inc., and the Boys and Girls Club of Franklin to interact with the children. He also wants to have a partnership with Franklin Community Schools where, for example, firefighters could help students and educators brush up on skills they may have already learned.</p>
<p>He also wants to create a community CPR initiative, and make sure he is accessible to people after public meetings, he said.</p>
<p>“I have a long list of stuff that we are trying to tackle,” Culp said.</p>
<p>Mostly, he wants to make sure Franklin gets a high level of fire service, he said.</p>
<p>“I want to display my appreciation by doing the best job I can as fire chief,” Culp said.</p>
<p>Barnett picked Lollar as deputy chief because they’re a compatible duo, Barnett said.</p>
<p>Barnett said he was looking for someone who could help lead Franklin’s department into the future. The city has added police officers, but it hasn’t added any firefighters in years, something Barnett could see changing, he said.</p>
<p>The new chiefs will also have a hand in deciding how to handle Station No. 21 near Main Street and U.S. 31, which has aging infrastructure, Barnett said.</p>
<p>“It’s just an old station that needs a lot of updating,” he said.</p>
