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Greene appointed new fire chief
Richmond Hill Fire Department

Richmond Hill has promoted from within for its new fire chief. 

The city council unanimously approved the appointment of Richmond Hill Fire Department Capt. Brendon Greene, a five-year veteran of the department, as its new chief during a brief called meeting Thursday night at City Hall.

Greene, the husband of Richmond Hill City Clerk Dawnne Greene, was chosen from more than 172 applicants after a process that narrowed the field to 24 candidates before a decision was made. He replaces former Chief Ralph Catlett, who retired in December. 

“The expertise and innovation Brandon Greene has shown during his time in the department over the last five years during his time in the department made him the best choice,” Richmond Hill Mayor Russ Carpenter said after the meeting, which lasted less than five minutes. 

It was unclear Thursday night what Greene’s salary as fire chief will be. He was not present at Thursday’s meeting. 

Green will be the department’s third fire chief in the last 22 years, following Catlett,  and longtime fire chief Vernon Rushing, who joined the then Richmond Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1968 under former Chief Herb Schwabe, became chief in 1997 and retired in 2013. Rushing died in 2016. 

Thursday’s vote was the only agenda item at the called meeting, which followed a lengthy called work session in which new council members Kristi Cox, Bill Donahue and Les Fussell were given presentations on the city’s various departments, ranging from public safety to public works, planning and zoning and finance to human resources. 

That session lasted almost three hours. Council members then waded into a list of potential projects for SPLOST VII. Much of the $11.3 million projected to be raised before the special local option sales tax ends in 2024 is already obligated to expenses, critical equipment needs, road improvements and fire stations, leaving officials with an estimated $1.78 million to spend on capital projects. 

Council members will hold another work session on SPLOST on Monday at City Hall. 


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