Wrightsville Beach fire chief announces retirement

At some point, Wrightsville Beach Fire Chief Frank Smith will become a volunteer again, just like he was when he first joined the department in January 1987. After Smith retires from the department in January 2016, he has a list of plans that will include another stint at volunteering, a few hiking expeditions, some time spent taking care of his family and more time at the beach that he helped safeguard for nearly three decades.

“I’m not the sit in the rocking chair type,” Smith said this week after announcing his retirement on Nov. 19. “It has been a privilege to serve with the fire department and particularly a great honor to lead as the chief. I’m confident the fire department is in good shape and will continue to go upward and onward from here.”

Smith said he had been considering his retirement for a while and was looking for a time when it was good for both him and the department. One of his considerations was a family medical issue that required more attention. And having recently implemented several projects he described as significant, and with the winter season putting less pressure on the department, he said the timing was right for him to move on.

“It’s the right time for the fire department and it’s the right time for me,” Smith said.

Over the course of the past five years, the department moved into the town’s new public safety building, replaced two aging fire engines and used federal grants to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus.

“We tied a string around several big, important projects, making it a good time for the next chief to lead,” Smith said. “And with this business being as seasonal as it is, winter is a good time to make a transition.”

While the threat of a fire always exists, Smith said the summer beach season is especially busy for the fire department because of both the lifeguard services that the department oversees and the emergency medical services that they provide to the throngs of tourists that visit Wrightsville Beach.

Due partly to good fortune and partly to diligent training, the fire department hasn’t faced the loss of a major structure on Wrightsville Beach in 15 years, Smith said, and it’s been a year since the department faced a major fire.

But serving a community with large houses that sit close together, and frequent, strong winds that can fuel a fire, the threat of the next blaze always lurks, Smith said.

“The only way to be able to address that situation is through a top-notch training program,” he said.

The training program was something Smith said he inherited when he took over the department in 2003 after former chief Everett Ward’s retirement.

Every Wednesday, the department participates in training drills. On Dec. 2, the department will go over a presentation about the Doak Apartment fire that occurred on Dec. 6, 1981, which took the life of firefighter Lt. Robert Wynn, still the department’s only fatality. The town’s Wynn Plaza is named in his honor.

“We do it to keep the memory of Lt. Wynn alive,” Smith said. “And we study what happened to prevent it from happening again.”

Smith first joined the department in January 1987 as a volunteer. At the time, Smith, who has a degree from Virginia Tech in mechanical engineering, was working in engineering project management.

But he stuck with the department, eventually serving as president of the Wrightsville Beach Volunteer Fire Department and advancing to the rank of captain before joining the department full time.

After advancing to chief in 2003, one of Smith’s first projects was to integrate Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue into the fire department, which had before been under the oversight of the police department.

“The fire department had grown to the point where it could support the lifeguards,” Smith said.

It was one of many administrative projects that Smith took on when he became chief, which he said offered challenges that were different than being a line officer in the department.

“I tell people I traded in my axe for a stapler,” he said. “When you become chief, it’s a more strategic position. It’s different, but when things go well, it can be extremely satisfying. When they don’t, it can be frustrating, but you have to dust yourself off and try again.”

One of Smith’s last administrative tasks will be to help the town put together the yearly budget. Town manager Tim Owens said the town already has ads up for Smith’s replacement, though with four captains on the department, internal candidates could also be considered.

Upon retirement, Smith said his first priority will be to focus on a family health issue. After that, he plans on going on hiking expeditions with his wife Angela, with destinations that include the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, the Black Hills of South Dakota and even another international hiking trip to England and Scotland.

He’s also not done volunteering, as he said he will participate in providing emergency services in some capacity. But he won’t be straying too far from the ocean.

“I plan to spend more time on the beach,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that.”

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