Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department Installs New Chief, Schedules March 21 Volunteer Day

Robert Featherston has been named fire chief of the Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department, and the department publicized a volunteer recruitment day set for Saturday, March 21. The announcement and publicity came in late February, with the event scheduled shortly after the department's leadership change.

The department announced the shift in leadership on February 27, 2026, stating it had "welcomed a former deputy fire chief into a primary leadership role." The announcement did not attach a name to that description; the department also publicized the volunteer day scheduled for Saturday, March 21.

Local reporting identified the new chief as Robert Featherston and named outgoing fire chief Billy Vaden. A photograph accompanying that reporting shows Featherston posed with outgoing fire chief Billy Vaden, indicating a public handover between the two leaders, though the written caption in available material is truncated and provided no additional context about timing or ceremony.

Details on the March 21 volunteer day remain limited in the public announcement. The department's notice set the date but did not include a start time, meeting location, planned activities, age or qualification requirements, or registration and contact information in the materials provided.

The department has not released a statement in the available materials clarifying whether the "former deputy fire chief" referenced in its late-February announcement is the same person identified as Robert Featherston in local reporting. The announcement and the published photograph name the incoming and outgoing chiefs but do not include direct quotes, background on prior roles, or a timeline for when the leadership change becomes fully effective.

The volunteer day on March 21 is the next public event tied to the department's recruitment activity announced in late February. As Gatesville's volunteer department moves forward with new leadership and a public recruitment push, the March 21 event stands as the department's immediate opportunity to expand its roster of volunteers amid the transition.