Beginning Jan. 2, the new chief of the City of Carmel (Ind.) Fire Department will be Keith D. Smith. Currently the fire chief of nearby Westfield-Washington Township's fire department, Smith will succeed Fire Chief Doug Callahan, who will retire at year’s end to take office as a trustee for Hamilton County’s Clay Township.

Smith was recommended for the position by a committee made up of Carmel city administrators, township trustee Judy Hagan and a representative of the local firefighters union. The committee reviewed candidates’ qualifications and conducted interviews with the finalists before making its recommendation to Carmel’s Mayor James Brainard, who made the appointment.

Smith began his career in 1965 as a firefighter in the Indianapolis Fire Department and was promoted through the ranks, becoming chief of the Indianapolis department in 1992, a position held for eight years. There he oversaw a staff of more than 800 and administered an annual budget of $50 million. Smith holds a degree from Indiana University and was selected for participation in the Executive Officer Program at the National Fire Academy.