Todd Pangle unanimously confirmed as first new Dalton, Ga., fire chief in decades

The Dalton Public Safety Commission voted unanimously to confirm Todd Pangle as Dalton fire chief at their monthly meeting on March 28.
The Dalton Public Safety Commission voted unanimously to confirm Todd Pangle as Dalton fire chief at their monthly meeting on March 28.
photo Todd Pangle

Deputy Fire Chief Todd Pangle will take over as the Dalton, Ga., fire chief next month, stepping into the shoes of current Chief Bruce Satterfield, who announced his retirement in January.

Pangle has served his community with the Dalton Fire Department since July 1997, rising through the ranks until reaching his current position in March 2015, according to a news release.

Satterfield said he's confident in the abilities of his replacement because he has worked in a variety of jobs throughout the department, making him a "well-rounded" candidate.

"Todd is a very detailed person," Satterfield said. "He's very meticulous about how he goes about his daily job. He's been a tremendous asset to me upstairs as the deputy chief since 2015, and he's just a ton of help with his knowledge and so forth."

The search for Satterfield's replacement began in January and three internal candidates qualified the following month to apply: Pangle, Damion Epps and Chris Cantrell.

The Dalton Public Safety Commission voted unanimously to confirm Pangle after interviews with the candidates, but commissioners were impressed by all three.

"We had three outstanding candidates for the position," said Bill Weaver, chairman of the Public Safety Commission. "I think the feeling was that Todd had some experiences that the others have not had, and that those experiences pushed him over the top as the commission deliberated and discussed the candidates."

Pangle said he is excited for the opportunity, but realizes there is a great deal of work ahead to ensure the department continues operating smoothly.

"I think that's where a lot of my fear comes from, not seeing the department regress in any way but seeing the department move forward in every aspect," he said. "I feel like we've got one of the best departments around, and to maintain that and not only maintain but to continue to push forward puts a lot of pressure on me, and that's what I hope to see."

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