Surfside Beach welcomes new fire chief

After 53 continuous years in the fire service, Dan Cimini said he feels good leaving the operations of the Surfside Beach Fire Department in the hands of Kevin Otte, who will be sworn in as the new chief during the council meeting Tuesday evening.

Cimini officially retired in October, but came back earlier this year to serve as interim chief because Anthony Fox left the position after a few months. Cimini had previously retired from fire departments in Myrtle Beach and in New Jersey.

“He fit the picture perfect for us,” Cimini said Tuesday morning standing next to Otte “With 30 years of experience, he’s bringing a lot of knowledge.”

Otte spent nearly three years as the town’s building official in the planning, building and zoning department before the opportunity for his life-long goal to become a fire chief.

“It’s taken me a few years and I’m really looking forward to it,” the 57-year-old said of becoming chief. “I always envisioned what it would be like to run the entire department. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m ready.”

Otte is working with Cimini this week to ensure the transition goes smooth.

“He brings a lot of experience and that’s going to be a good example for our young firefighters,” said Cimini, who plans to return to fishing in Cocoa Beach, Fla., after the transition.

Otte has been a volunteer firefighter for the town for three years and the last two years Otte has worked as the certified fire marshal, Micki Fellner, town administrator, said earlier this month.

Otte was “the only candidate to meet all requirements included in the job description,” Fellner said of the 21 applications they reviewed.

Otte volunteered for five years with the Bethlehem, W.Va., Fire Department, spent three years as a paramedic with TriState Ambulance and 30 years with the Wheeling, W.Va., Fire Department, Fellner said. During his time in Wheeling, Otte was the chief inspector of the bureau of fire prevention and assistant chief of fire suppression.

Also during that time in West Virginia, Otte was an instructor for the Regional Education Service Agency and taught fire service classes, Fellner said. Otte has an associate degree in firefighting science from West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling and a Bachelor of Arts Regents degree from West Liberty University in West Liberty, W.Va.

Being a building inspector and knowing about the construction side of zoning and planning will help in the fire business, Otte said.

“They really have a close relationship because knowing how a building goes up gives you an understanding of how a building will come down under fire conditions,” Otte said.

On Tuesday, Otte said he and his family had vacationed in the area and planned to retire and move here, but the opportunity came earlier than expected. Otte and his wife, Terrie, had purchased an empty lot in the area and then someone approached them about purchasing their West Virginia home, even though it wasn’t listed as for sale.

“Things fell into place a little quicker than we planned,” he said.

The couple sold their home and Otte moved to Surfside Beach in July 2012 and took the building official job. About nine months later Otte’s wife retired from her nursing manager position in an emergency room, and the couple built a home on their lot.

“I like my work and like the saying goes if you enjoy what you are doing you will never work a day in your life,” Otte said with a smile. “I want to keep a good working relationship with the citizens. The department is here to serve the citizens. I’m going to make sure that’s more than letters and stencils on our equipment, I’m going to make sure there is pride in our service.”

Surfside Beach’s fire department recently received an ISO 1 rating by Insurance Services Office (ISO), which reflects the overall effectiveness of the department while it helps insurance companies set premiums and rates that property owners pay for coverage in a given community.

It’s among a few departments in the area with such a rating and Otte said he plans to keep up the work to maintain that ranking.

“I want to make sure everything is in place to keep the department moving forward,” Otte said. “It’s a saving for citizens and we want to keep that.”

“My door is always open and I want to be approachable,” Otte said, “so citizens can stop by and express any concerns they might have or anything that needs to be reviewed for change.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Surfside Beach welcomes new fire chief."