Culkin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jerry Briggs was appointed Monday as fire coordinator for Warren County after the post had been vacant for nearly two months.

Briggs, 35, was the choice of three supervisors who supported him over LeTourneau volunteer chief Robert Pell, 56, and five others who applied. Motions in support of each died without a second. The two men were the only chiefs to apply from the county’s six volunteer fire protection districts. Briggs succeeds Kelly Worthy, who retired in May after 20 years.

“Apparently, we’re at a possible impasse here,” District 5 Supervisor Richard George said after his motion for Pell and District 1 Supervisor John Arnold’s motion for Briggs were met with silence. George then changed his vote. “But, in order to make every effort to preserve and enhance (volunteer fire) effort, I’ll make a motion to hire Mr. Briggs.”

Board President Bill Lauderdale and District 2 Supervisor William Banks voted no.

Matt Garrard, an emergency dispatcher, was among the five other applicants. Supervisors declined to release names of the remaining four interested applicants, all of whom work in the private sector.

“We don’t need it to be another full-time position,” Banks said after the meeting, citing pay raises for the coordinator function and the garbage-related tasks. The fire coordinator function will pay $32,796 annually in fiscal 2013; salaries for the environmental clerk and building permit field officer will be $30,000 and $30,500, respectively, following raises to each. The new arrangement totals $93,296, about $2,500 less than now. Still, Banks voted against the structural change.

Later, Lauderdale said his preference for Pell was more about style and experience and nothing personal against Briggs.

Seven had applied for the job, which coordinates fire response among the volunteer forces. The environmental officer title, which manages garbage pickup in the county and held by Worthy since 1994, has been passed to the environmental clerk.

About 85 to 100 volunteers man the fire districts, depending on the season. About 2 mills are tacked onto residential and commercial property tax bills in each district to finance each department.