The Central Lyon County Fire Protection District has hired Timothy McHargue as fire chief. McHargue will begin Oct. 1 as he transitions from Southern California to Dayton. “I will be a very hands-on chief,” McHargue said. “I will go on calls at night. I’m very, very excited about this community and can tell it’s very closeknit.” CLCFPD Board President Chuck Ritter said McHargue was the standout choice among the community.
“(The process) went really well,” Ritter said. It was tough, but Tim McHargue stood shoulders above everybody else.” Former Chief Rich Harvey retired this summer. A paid consultant helped narrow a pool of 18 to four candidates. The finalists toured district stations and met community members Aug. 18. Feedback collected through comment cards indicated McHargue was the public’s favorite, Ritter said.
McHargue has 34 years of fire service experience. In Colton, Calif., since 2002, he worked his way up through the ranks and became chief for 12 years. He retired last year. Prior to Colton, he served with the Cathedral City Fire Department in California and the Clayton County Fire Department in Georgia. McHargue said Central Lyon offered something special and hearkened back to the situation he saw in Colton. In 2022, Colton residents voted to renew a sales tax of 1% for fire, police and other government funding.
