Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners approved Tuesday a new contract for their soon-to-be fire chief.
Russell Knick will officially take over as the head of Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services on May 5, according to documents. He will make $164,000 per year.
The county announced last week that Knick, an assistant fire chief who joined the department in 1993, would be taking over for Chief Casey Snyder. Snyder is retiring after a 29-year career in Gwinnett, including the last five as chief.
Among other things, Snyder is credited with making the shift to training all firefighters as paramedics as well and adding medical units to all of the county’s fire stations.
Knick has filled a number of roles during his career, officials said. In his current position as assistant chief of operations, Knick oversees 850 sworn personnel, 31 fire stations and the fire academy.
“Both Casey and I know that Russell will take the department to the next level,” County Administrator Glenn Stephens said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
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