Beaufort’s top fire official is adding a new role with the city. Here’s what that means
Beaufort’s top fire official is adding a new role in city administration.
Reece Bertholf, the fire chief of Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department since 2016, has also been named the assistant city manager under Bill Prokop, the city announced Friday.
Bertholf, 41, will assist Prokop in various capacities with city operations and stand in when the city manager is absent. He’ll also oversee special projects, the city said.
“I am very proud to have talent within our organization, like Reece, to afford me the opportunity to promote from within,” Prokop said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with Reece on many of the plans and programs we have for the growth of our city in the years ahead.”
Bertholf referred questions about his new salary to Prokop. An attempt to reach Prokop Friday afternoon was unsuccessful.
As fire chief, Bertholf oversees the department’s $5.3 million budget, the largest chunk of the city’s $23.6 million operating budget this fiscal year. He’s recently assisted at City Hall by working on annexation requests and overseeing communications and public relations efforts before the city hired a communications manager last year.
In 2016, Bertholf’s department was at the center of a major fire investigation when the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce burned down, an event that spawned unease throughout the city. Federal fire investigators eventually ruled the fire accidental, and the building has since been rebuilt.
During hurricanes and severe storms in recent years, Bertholf has connected with residents by using live videos on Facebook to provide updates on the storm and answer questions.
Conversations with Prokop about taking on additional responsibilities have been happening for about two years, Bertholf said.
Asked about his effectiveness as fire chief with new duties at City Hall, Bertholf said the department now has two deputy fire chiefs, whereas before there was one. Both deputies, Tim Ogden and John Robinson, have a hand in the department’s executive duties, Bertholf said.
“As it stands, the capacity is there for me to undertake this new role,” he said.
During Bertholf’s tenure, Beaufort and Port Royal partnered to build a new fire station on Robert Smalls Parkway in the Burton area. That happened amid ongoing disputes with the Burton Fire District over jurisdiction and fees as the city and town continue to annex property in the unincorporated areas.
Bertholf began with the fire department as a volunteer in 2000 and joined full time the following year after leaving the Marine Corps. He has degrees from USC Beaufort and The Citadel and is a board member at Riverview Charter School.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 4:30 AM.
