COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The one time chief of the Battle Creek Fire Department has been appointed to take over for Rich Sherman as the Chief of the Coldwater Fire Department.
It was announced in a posting on the fire department’s Facebook page that Dave Schmaltz will take over when Sherman officially retires next Friday. Sherman has served the Coldwater Fire Department for 39 of his 45 years as a firefighter and has been the Coldwater Fire Chief since 1993.
The 46-year-old Schmaltz began his career as a Coldwater firefighter in 1995 and worked 10 years for the city.
He later became a fire chief in Defiance, Ohio before he became the Battle Creek Fire Chief in February of 2014.
Schmaltz took a leave of absence from the Battle Creek job this past February to “focus on his personal well-being and consider his future options.” He resigned his position on April fifth. No further information was released.
Schmaltz and his wife Nikki have three children. They have extended family in Coldwater
The Coldwater Fire Chief position according to its posting on the city’s web site had a starting salary of between $75,000 and $85,000 and applicants had to live within 20 miles of Coldwater.
The Coldwater Fire Department has 14 full time firefighters, 10 part paid firefighters and a civilian administrative assistant.
