Fire chief search down to 4
The search for a new fire chief for Fort Myers Beach is down to four candidates, with final interviews slated for Jan. 4.
On that day, the candidates will meet with employees of the town’s Fire Control District, who will turn in an evaluation sheet afterward, and then with the district’s five commissioners.
“I’m happy to report that all the finalists have their master’s degrees,” said James Steffens, whose consulting agency conducted the search and narrowed the list down to four from 12 after a first round of interviews.
The district on Sept. 30 declined to renew the contract of former chief Darren White, whose hire three years was contingent upon him earning his bachelor’s degree. He did not meet the requirement, and assistant chief Thomas May has served as interim chief since.
Steffens said the four finalists also have all served in the capacity of a fire chief at some point of their careers. Two of them work currently in Florida, one is in Colorado and one in Illinois.
The new fire chief will receive an annual salary between $115,000 and $135,000.