Kyle welcomes new fire chief

Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said Taylor's work with the North Hays County Fire Rescue made him stand out from a pool of "excellent candidates." The fire chief and police chief will work together closely, and Barnett said he is confident Taylor will prove to be easy to work with.

"There is no doubt that we will continue the excellent working relationship with the Kyle Fire Department," Barnett said. "We had a great relationship with the previous fire chief and I'm sure we're going to continue that."

"What we're really looking for is a working relationship with those other entities and that seemed to be a very strong point of his."

Taylor began volunteering for the Nome Volunteer Fire Department in East Texas as a high school student in 1986. He received a bachelor of business administration from the University of North Texas and became a career firefighter with Red Oak Fire Rescue in 2002. He was promoted to captain in 2005.

Smith said Taylor has the necessary skill set to bring the department up to a professional standard that will allow it to keep pace with the city's growth. Taylor's first big project will be to create a five- or ten-year plan, she said.

"We're anxious to see what his thoughts for the future are," Smith said.