Belton selects Rhea Cooper to guide the department while city leaders search for a permanent fire chief.
BELTON, Texas — The City of Belton announced Tuesday that it appointed Rhea Cooper as interim fire chief.
Cooper will lead the Belton Fire Department beginning Monday, July 27, before Fire Chief Jon Fontenot’s retirement on July 31. The overlap is intended to help Cooper and Fontenot coordinate a smooth leadership transition.
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Cooper is a retired Lubbock fire chief with more than 45 years of fire service experience. He is familiar with Central Texas, having worked with the Morgan’s Point Resort Fire Department, the City of McGregor and the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Most recently, Cooper served as interim fire chief in Boerne, Brenham, Horseshoe Bay and Kaufman. He was inducted into the Texas Fire Service Hall of Honor in 2025 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Belton’s incoming interim fire chief holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational education with a minor in fire science from Wayland Baptist University. Cooper also graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.
The cost of the interim appointment is not expected to exceed the amount budgeted for the fire chief’s salary. The city said it will conduct a national search, with an emphasis on Texas candidates, to select a permanent fire chief.