Photo by Erin Nelson.
Randy Sipe, fire chief for North Shelby Fire District, stands in the bay at Fire Station No. 1 on Valleydale Road. Sipe was promoted to chief in November 2020.
While he may have only started in his new role in November, Randy Sipe is no stranger to the North Shelby Fire District (NSFD). Having worked his entire career at NSFD, he took over as chief Nov. 1 after the retirement of Chief Buddy Tyler after 35 years of service.
Sipe moved to the area in the mid-1980s when he was around 10 and later graduated from Pelham High School. He began volunteering with the department in 1995, and three years later, he was hired as a firefighter/paramedic.
“I grew up in this area and was raised here,” Sipe said. “At some point in time back in the mid-’90s, I ran into some guys who were getting into the fire service. They helped me get on as a volunteer, which I did for three or four years and then worked my way in and was given the opportunity to work here in 1998.”
Fourteen years later, in 2012, Sipe was promoted to lieutenant, then to battalion chief in 2018. When Chief Tyler retired in November, Sipe was appointed chief by the board of directors for the North Shelby Fire District. After Sipe’s promotion, Lt. Brandon Mills was promoted to battalion chief.
“Chief Tyler had 35 years here at North Shelby and was chief for eight years. I was serving as the C-shift battalion chief and EMS chief,” Sipe said.
In August, Sipe will have been with the department for 22 years, which covers 26 square miles bounded by the Cahaba River, Interstate 65, Oak Mountain State Park and U.S. 280.
They respond to an average of 2,100 to 2,200 calls each year and provide emergency fire protection, advanced life support medical care and limited hazardous materials responses. They also provide non-emergency services such as pre-incident planning, fire prevention classes, CPR classes and child safety seat installations.
The department also has automatic aid and mutual aid agreements with surrounding fire districts and departments that allows citizens in neighboring cities to receive emergency fire protection and/or medical coverage from the closest fire station regardless of jurisdiction boundaries.
The NSFD has 36 full-time firefighters and paramedics working out of three fire stations, which are located on Valleydale Road, on the corner of Caldwell Mill Road and U.S. 119 and next to Meadowbrook Post Office.
Sipe and his family live in the Indian Springs area off Caldwell Mill Road. He’s been married to his wife Nancy for 16 years, and they have one child in college at the University of North Alabama and a 10-year-old at Oak Mountain Intermediate School.
He said his wife has always been his rock and a great support system.
“She’s supported me in everything I’ve done throughout my career here,” he said. “I’ve been gone every third day for over 20 years. She made sure everything was taken care of at home. I’d never be where I am today without her.”
As he settles into his new role, Sipe said he is fortunate that Chief Tyler did an outstanding job bringing the department up to current standards.
“He left me with not a whole lot to do as far as having to expand or correct a lot of things,” he said. “He just did an outstanding job and definitely laid the groundwork for the next fire chief.”
Instead of being on 24 hours and off 48 hours, Sipe is adjusting to a 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday schedule. He tries to get in the office each day as early as he can and make sure everything is operating smoothly. He has daily meetings, puts out “fires in the office” and assists his department with whatever it may need.
He said being in the office is a little more stressful than being out in the field.
“When I was on shift, running calls came naturally and I knew what I had to do,” he said. “Now I’m responsible for a lot more people and making sure we as a department are doing what we’re supposed to be doing. It’s always on my mind: ‘What can we do better?’ ‘Is there anything we need to change?’ And handling the financials — making sure money is spent the correct way.”
Taking over during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Sipe said his biggest issue is that his staff stay safe and take the proper precautions. He said they are seeing more COVID-19 calls now than ever, and they have rules in place as to how they handle those calls and pay attention and take as much precaution as they can.
As for his plans for the future, Sipe said one of his priorities is to keep up with ever-evolving technology and the way things are done. He would like to eventually add more staff when the budget will allow.
“My biggest thing is I want to take care of this community because I grew up here,” he said. “It has a really special place in my heart, and that drives me to make sure we give the citizens of this area the best services possible and take care of them. They deserve the best, and I want to make sure we provide the best.”
