Prosser likes the competition among seven candidates for fire chief

City Manager Jim Prosser said Tuesday that he is looking for a new fire chief who is a “collaborative” leader with a strong background in firefighting, emergency management and the handling of hazardous materials.

Prosser and a team of four others are interviewing seven candidates who are competing to take over the city's fire chief post after the current chief, Steve Havlik, retires in March.

Interviews took place Tuesday and are taking place today, and the seven candidates attended a public open house last night at Kirkwood Community College.

Four of the seven candidates are from outside Iowa and three are current members of the Cedar Rapids department.

“I like the competition,” Prosser said. “I like that we have a strong local group of candidates and a group who are interested in moving to our community. Local knowledge is a big plus, but we're always looking for the best overall candidate. We're looking for the best fit.”

Prosser acknowledged that he was well aware of the last time City Hall picked a fire chief from outside the department. Brud Gorman, who joined the department from one in New Hampshire, resigned in 1998 after a stormy seven years.

At a news conference upon taking over in 1998, Chief Havlik said solving the department's labor-management troubles would be his top priority.

Prosser on Tuesday said the city's current firefighters are being “very helpful” in providing input about their expectations and the department's needs. He said firefighters also are looking for the best candidate.

The three local candidates for chief are Gregory Smith, battalion chief, Brian Giachino, district fire chief, and Mark English, assistant fire chief.

The four from outside Iowa are Scott Goodwin, division chief, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Stephen Reid, president/CEO of Stephen M. Reid and Associates, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm, and past deputy chief of emergency medical services in Washington, D.C.; Carl Austerman, who most recently was deputy fire chief, Glendale, Ariz.; and Paul Hewitt, combat battalion chief, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Goodwin, Reid, Austerman and Giachino all hold master's degrees, the city has said.

The city's Civil Service Commission picked the seven among 27 applicants from 16 states plus Iowa.

The commission ranked the seven based on resume, answers to a questionnaire and phone interviews. Goodwin ranked first, followed by Reid, Austerman, Hewitt, Smith, Giachino and English.

The team conducting this week's interviews consists of Prosser, Conni Huber, the city's human resources director, Police Chief Greg Graham, Matthew Widner, the city's code enforcement manager, and Mark Frese, Davenport fire chief.

The Cedar Rapids city charter states that the city manager selects the fire chief with the advice and consent of the City Council.