21-year firefighter in Oxford is hired as new fire chief

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi city is hiring a longtime firefighter as its new fire chief.

The Oxford Eagle reports Joey Gardner is an Oxford native and has served 21 years with local fire department.

When Mark Heath resigned as chief in September, Gardner was named as an interim successor.

Aldermen voted Tuesday to make Gardner the new chief.

He will be responsible for organizing the department to serve additional areas that were recently annexed by the city.

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Information from: Oxford Eagle, http://www.oxfordeagle.com