Nederland Fire appoints interim fire chief – Boulder Daily Camera

Nederland Fire Protection District announced Tuesday evening that its board had appointed Capt. Charlie Schmidtmann as interim fire chief in the wake of former Fire Chief Michael Scott’s sudden resignation.

According to a NFPD Facebook post, Schmidtmann began as a volunteer with the fire department in 1998before advancing into a paid position. In addition to being a paramedic and firefighter, Schmidtmann oversees operations as well as the vehicle fleet.

“Charlie’s the natural choice for the interim (chief),” said Eric Abramson, PIO for Nederland Fire. The interim position will last for several months, Abramson said, while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

The Camera previously reported that the last time Nederland Fire hired a new chief, in late 2021, the job opening drew 27 applicants from across the nation. Abramson said he hopes there will be a similar level of interest in the position this time around.

Schmidtmann’s appointment came four days after Scott unexpectedly stepped down from his role.

Scott offered no explanation or advance notice of his resignation, according to Abramson.

“Honestly, that’s been a source of frustration for all of us,” Abramson said. “We’re not sure what happened.”

Abramson also said there had not been any recent controversy involving Scott, and that resigning was simply something he had “decided to do.”

But Abramson emphasized that while the department’s search for a new chief is expected to take about six months, the operations of Nederland Fire will not be impacted during this time.

“We’re still going to show up when you call 911. It doesn’t really matter who the chief is,” said Abramson. “He instills some spirit, but it’s really up to the people to get it into gear” and respond to emergencies.