Calling it "one of the most difficult decisions" he's ever had to make, Fire Fighters Local 36 president Ed Smith has accepted a promotion to Battalion Fire Chief. He'll step down as union president once the promotion is effective, and Charlie Hottinger will serve as president at Local 36 until a general election is held. Smith (left) traces his union roots back to his father, a Port Agent for the Seafarers in Baltimore. Smith was elected president of Local 36 in 2011, leading the union through "some of the worst times in this great Union's history." He credits his success in meeting these challenges to the support of the local's membership and Executive Board, as well as "our Brothers and Sisters in the labor movement at the DC Labor Council." Jackie Jeter, president of the Metro Council, where Smith was elected an Executive Board member earlier this year, called Smith "the very embodiment of a great labor leader; tenacious, tough and absolutely devoted, not only to his members, but to the entire community. We could not be prouder of our union brother and know that he'll continue working hard to protect our community."