Cedar Rapids identifies fire chief finalists

Seven candidates have been identified in the search for the next Cedar Rapids fire chief.

The three-member Civil Service Commission sent the names of the final seven candidates to City Manager Jim Prosser in a letter dated on Monday. Prosser will determine a list of finalists, who will be interviewed again and meet the public in January.

Current Fire Chief Steve Havlik has announced he will retire in March.

The seven candidates, in order based on an evaluation with the commission, are:

• 1. Scott Goodwin, Division Chief, City of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Goodwin has been with the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department for 13 years and also has 13 years of fire service with San Bernardino, Calif. He has a Master's degree in public administration and a certificate in executive leadership from Harvard University.
• 2. Stephen Reid, President and CEO, Stephen M. Reid and Associates consulting firm, Washington, D.C. Reid has 26 years of fire service, serving most recently as Deputy Chief of the Emergency Medical Services Bureau for Washington, D.C. He also served as Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief of Operations, Public Information Officer and Captain. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in fire administration and a Master's degree in management.
• 3. Carl Austerman, former Deputy Fire Chief, City of Glendale, Ariz. Austerman was with the Glendale Fire Department for 26 years, also serving as Deputy Fire Chief of Professional Services, Deputy Fire Chief of Emergency Operations, Battalion Chief and Captain. He holds a Master's degree in fire and emergency management administration and a Bachelor's degree in human resources.
• 4. Paul Hewitt, Combat Battalion Chief, Salt Lake City, Utah Fire Department. Hewitt was previously served as Training Division Chief, spent four years as a Battalion Chief and 10 years as an EMT/Paramedic/Firefighter. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor's degree in public emergency services management.
• 5. Gregory Smith, Battalion Chief, Cedar Rapids Fire Department. Smith has been with CRFD since 1994 and is also an adjunct instructor in the fire science program at Kirkwood Community College. He holds a graduate certificate in public administration and is currently working on his Master's degree in public administration at Iowa State University.
• 6. Brian Giachino, District Fire Chief, Cedar Rapids Fire Department. Giachino has been with CRFD for 18 years, previously serving as Battalion Chief and the leader of the Urban Search and Rescue team. Since 1999, he has owned the consulting firm Giachino and Associates. He holds a Bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University and a Master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.
• 7. Mark English, Assistant Fire Chief, Cedar Rapids Fire Department. English has been with CRFD for 24 years, holding positions of firefighter, lieutenant and captain, as well as Chief Training Officer, Special Operations/Hazardous Materials/Technical Rescue Chief and Battalion Chief/Shift Commander. He graduated from Upper Iowa University with a Bachelor's degree in public administration with an emphasis in fire science.

Twenty-seven people from 16 states applied for the position, according to the city. All three internal candidates made the final grouping. By city charter, the city manager picks the fire chief with the “advice and consent” of the City Council.

Donna Lown, clerk for the Civil Service Commission, said the commission decided the order of the candidates based on answers to written questions, oral interviews and reviews of each candidate's experience. She said the list doesn't necessarily mean that they recommend No. 1 over No. 7, for example.

“They feel that all seven are qualified,” Lown said. “It was really kind of tough for them.”