By Saeed Ahmed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Copyright 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Dennis Rubin, the chief of the Atlanta Fire Department, is resigning after a little more than three years at the helm.
Rubin tendered his resignation Monday night, the fire union said.
It is widely reported that Rubin, a native of Washington, D.C., is among the finalists to lead the fire department there.
Atlanta fire spokesman Byron Kennedy would not confirm or deny Rubin’s resignation but said the chief will issue a statement today.
The city hired Rubin as chief in December 2003 for $138,000 a year. He led a department of 960 employees and an annual budget of more than $56 million.
“The Atlanta fire department has come a long way [during his tenure], and we hope that whoever is chosen to succeed him will continue on that path,” said Atlanta Professional Firefighters’ Association President Jim Daws.
Rubin spent much of his childhood in a fire station because his older brother Ronnie was a firefighter.
When he was 19, he was hired as a firefighter in Washington.
During a career that spanned 30-plus years, Rubin has served as fire chief in Dothan and in Norfolk, Va.
Before coming to Atlanta, he served as city manager of Dothan, Ala., population 57,737.
Rubin has an associate’s degree in fire science from Northern Virginia Community College and a bachelor’s in fire administration from the University of Maryland.
He has trained firefighters at universities and at the National Fire Academy in Maryland. He’s author of “Rube’s Rules for Survival,” a collection of advice for firefighters.