GFD Fire Captain takes reins as chief today

Captain Tim Basham will succeed Fire Chief Mike Simmons in the lead role at Gladewater Fire Department.
Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith appointed Basham to the role Friday, announcing the promotion Monday morning ahead of a ‘changing of the guard’ at the Tyler Street emergency services HQ.
“His years of experience that he has is one of the main things,” Smith said. “And, I think the working relationship he has with everyone.”
A firefighter at the City of Irving from 1983 to 2018, Basham joined GFD as a Driver/Operator on June 1, 2023, and was later promoted to Fire Captain.
“He’s got several certifications that make him qualified for the position,” Smith added. Basham will serve on an interim basis for the first six months: “Probably it will be a permanent position for him. That will give him time to get settled in.”
With Basham taking the position officially March 23, it marked Simmons’ final day with GPD after coming on board with the city as chief in January 2022.  He’s moving on to a position as Training Chief with Sabine Fire Department / ESD No. 2.
“He will be available for consultation if Tim needs it,” Smith confirmed. “Really appreciate the time that he spent here and the direction he took the fire department. We want to continue that forward momentum.
“One of the things I have seen is that the fire department is extremely committed to the citizens and go out of their way as far as assisting with other projects throughout the city.”
The duties of Lake Warden and Emergency Management Coordinator, additional roles Simmons filled, will be handled by staff for now before permanent appointments are made.
For the EOM position, “I want that to be Tim’s decision, because it’ll be through the fire department,” Smith said.