New Cedar Rapids fire chief named

Stephen Reid, a past deputy chief of emergency medical services in Washington, D.C., will be named Tuesday evening as the city's new fire chief, Mayor Ron Corbett reported Monday night.

Reid, 58, currently is president/CEO of Stephen M. Reid and Associates, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm.

In a short interview Monday night via phone, Reid said he will start work on May 10 in Cedar Rapids if his hiring is approved by the City Council. He said he had come to like City Manager Jim Prosser during the interview process, but added that Prosser's resignation on Monday did not change his interest in the Cedar Rapids job.

Reid was among seven semifinalists and three finalists to replace Fire Chief Steve Havlik, who retired in late February after 12 years at the head of the city's Fire Department.

Under the City Charter, the city manager names the police chief and the fire chief with the advice and consent of the council.

Reid should be an interesting choice in a city in which the Fire Department and a separate entity, Area Ambulance Service, both more or less hustle to the same emergency medical calls.

The city's fire chief's post has been filled on an interim basis by Mark English, assistant fire chief. English had been on a list of seven candidates to replace Havlik.

The other two finalists were Scott Goodwin, division chief, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and Cedar Rapids District Fire Chief Brian Giachino.

Hiring a fire chief is something of a delicate matter in Cedar Rapids because Brud Gorman, the outsider hired as chief in the years before Havlik's tenure, had plenty of conflicts with the local firefighters union.

However, Rick Scofield, who just retired as a fire captain but who remains the head of the local firefighters union, has recently complimented Prosser for the process he has used to come up with a fire chief.

“I don't think the vetting process was done property,” Scofield said of the process used to hire Gorman.

“I'm comfortable right now with the way the vetting process is going now,” Scofield continued. “Our city manager is doing his homework and research.

“I'm involved in that a little bit, and I have a committee of firefighters involved in that. So I'm confident we're going to get the best person for the job. I've met them all (all the candidates), and I like them all. I liked every one of them.”

Last week, Prosser said he intended to meet with the firefighter committee on Friday, April 9, before the council vote on Tuesday.