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Draper City mayor appoints new fire chief, ends partnership with UFA

Posted at 7:15 PM, Sep 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-13 21:15:43-04
Clint Smith

Clint Smith

DRAPER, Utah – Draper City mayor has decided to move ahead to start a Draper City fire department one month after the city council voted to re-evaluate its contract with Unified Fire Authority, city officials announced Tuesday.

Mayor Troy Walker has selected Clint Smith to be the city’s fire chief. The city council will vote to ratify the appointment on Sept. 20.

Smith is currently employed by UFA as the EMS Bureau Chief and is responsible for the oversight and management of all medical aspects of the department.

Walker released the following statement about Smith:

“I am confident that Clint will be an outstanding fire chief. He has unique and exceptional experience in fire service and also in the political arena serving as the interim Mayor of Herriman from June to December, 2013. He currently serves as the chair of the Herriman City planning Commission. Clint understands city government, budgeting and serving residents. Clint was raised in a family of hard workers. He knows how to get a job done and he has the highest integrity and work ethic. Draper is Clint’s hometown, and he will make us proud.”

The city council first discussed the evaluation of its contract with UFA during a public hearing on Aug. 16. During the meeting, Walker said, the city had no complaints about service it was getting from UFA, but is concerned they don’t have enough local control over the fire service or how the tax dollars are spent.

The city estimates it loses out on collecting around $600,000 ambulance service charges that instead go to UFA.

During public comment of the August meeting, residents were concerned about keeping the same high-level of service.

“We don’t have the trucks. We don’t have the assets. We don’t have anything. Unified does and you would be an idiot to throw Unified away,” said one Draper resident at the meeting.

The council voted 4-1 to re-evaluate the city’s contract, giving UFA 12-month notice the city was looking at other fire service options.