By Ron Menchaca and Glenn Smith
The Charleston Post and Courier
CHARLESTON, SC — The seven men vying to become Charleston’s next fire chief boast an impressive list of academic credentials and a combined 220 years of experience battling blazes in some of the nation’s largest cities. But some also carry baggage from past posts, including one former chief who retired under a cloud of controversy last year following a fire recruit’s death.
They come from across the Southeast, though only one hails from the Carolinas. One candidate was born in Charleston and his parents live South of Broad. Two others live as far away as Missouri and Ohio.
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley released the candidates’ names Friday, capping months of speculation that surrounded the national search to replace former Fire Chief Rusty Thomas. He retired in June, one year after the Sofa Super Store blaze that killed nine of his firefighters.
The finalists are:
— Richard Brannon, deputy chief of the Mobile (Ala.) Fire-Rescue Department;
— Thomas Carr, chief of Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Service;
— Larry Collins, retired director and chief of the Dayton (Ohio) Fire Department;
— Jamie Geer, chief of Clearwater (Fla.) Fire and Rescue;
— William Goodwin, retired chief of the Baltimore (Md.) Fire Department;
— John Rukavina, retired director of public safety for Wake County (N.C.);
— Thomas Solberg, chief of the Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Fire Department.
Perhaps the two biggest surprises to emerge are Carr and Goodwin, both of whom come from major urban areas considerably larger than Charleston.
Carr, 54, said the opportunity in Charleston came along at the perfect time professionally and personally. Carr’s father graduated from The Citadel. His parents retired to downtown Charleston and live on New Street.
He said he has maxed out his retirement benefits in Maryland and would retire from there if tapped for the Charleston job, which he considers to be a coup for someone who thrives on organizational challenges. “It’s what I do: I like challenging the norm.”
In the wake of the sofa store fire, Carr invited commanders from the Charleston Fire Department to attend advanced training at his department in Maryland. He said the experience made an impact on him because he got to know Thomas and other department leaders.
Goodwin’s name took some by surprise for another reason. A third-generation firefighter, Goodwin rose through the Baltimore ranks and enjoyed wide support when he was appointed to the department’s top post in 2002. But his tenure as chief soon turned rocky after a series of controversies, including an alleged cheating scandal and a dispute with firefighters involving overtime pay.
He retired as Baltimore’s fire chief in November amid calls for his ouster after the death of a firefighting cadet. Rachael M. Wilson, a 29-year-old mother of two, was killed during a live burn exercise. Goodwin’s critics said he was responsible for systemic failures that led to the recruit’s death, but Baltimore’s mayor publicly supported the chief and said he was the strong leader that firefighters needed after the tragedy. Goodwin could not be reached for comment Friday.
Steve Fugate, president of the fire officers union in Baltimore and a captain with the city’s fire department, said Goodwin’s interest in the Charleston job caught many in Baltimore off guard Friday.
“I’m stunned,” Fugate said. “With that kind of background, I never thought his name would surface again.”
Goodwin is not the only candidate trailed by controversy. Geer has made a number of improvements to the Clearwater department. But he also has had a rocky relationship with the union representing Clearwater firefighters, and union delegates voted in June to censure him and boycott the city, alleging unfair labor practices. A Web site devoted to the imbroglio points to host of grievances and other issues swirling around the fire department.
Geer declined to comment earlier in the week, and he could not be reached Friday after the list of finalists was released.
Mark Treglio, who heads the Save Clearwater Fire! campaign for the Florida Professional Firefighters Association, said Geer has shown disregard for the rules and has sown dissent among firefighters. “Your fire department and your city have been through a lot,” he said. “Whoever comes to Charleston needs to be special, they have to be special. This guy isn’t it.”
Despite some of these controversies, all of the candidates have impressive resumes in terms of education and advanced training.
Rukavina, for instance, holds a law degree, was a Harvard fellow and holds chief and executive fire officer certifications. After eight years as a public safety director, he wants to devote his energies to the fire service again and he sees Charleston as a challenging, but rewarding assignment.
Brannon also views the Charleston job as a challenge to put his advanced training and experience to work. In Mobile, he said, he has had extensive experience securing national accreditation for his department and overseeing emergency medical training. “A lot of the things Charleston is planning to upgrade and change, we’re already doing,” he said.
Solberg and Collins could not be reached for comment. Both have extensive experience and have been finalists for other top fire jobs in the past year, Collins in Wilmington, N.C., and Solberg in Lincoln, Neb.
‘Stacked deck’?
Janet Wilmoth, editorial director for Fire Chief magazine, was impressed with the selection of Carr, whom she described as an “extraordinary” choice, but somewhat puzzled over the inclusion of the controversial Goodwin and the lesser-known candidates. She wondered if Riley hadn’t already settled on a choice and was just rounding out the field for appearance’s sake. “It sounds like a stacked deck to me.”
Riley, however, stated in a written release that all of the candidates are highly qualified and his decision will be a difficult one.
Jerry Oldani, a consultant hired to conduct the national search, said all of the candidates were fully vetted and that he and the city are fully aware that some have controversial backgrounds. All of the candidates were candid about any issues they dealt with in their respective departments, and in many cases, there is more to the story than the headlines or union statements, he said.
“You have to look deeper than one issue,” Oldani said. “When people are change agents, there always will be a certain percentage of people that are going to have an opinion. I’m satisfied in terms of the backgrounds of all the people.”
Firsthand look
The candidates are in store for a whirlwind round of interviews and public meet-and-greets beginning Monday.
City Council members will attend a luncheon that day with the candidates at the Francis Marion Hotel. City firefighters then will get their first glimpse of the slate of hopefuls from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Charleston Maritime Center.
Bill Haigler, an engineer at Station 20 in Cainhoy, said the list is impressive. “There’s a wide range of candidates there. It’s good to see that the mayor is entertaining all ideas.”
Haigler said it was too soon to say whether a favorite exists among the group, but he said many firefighters were surprised that the city attracted such high-caliber candidates.
Residents, neighborhood leaders and others will meet the candidates at a community reception scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Charleston Visitor Center.
On Tuesday, Riley, City Council’s Public Safety Committee and a special advisory panel will interview each candidate.
Riley said he will solicit feedback from these groups before recommending the best candidate to City Council. He has not specified a time line for making the final decision.
City Councilman Tim Mallard, who advocated for council to have a role in selecting the next chief, said he looked forward to meeting all the candidates. He credited Riley for including City Council in the interviewing process. “Twelve heads are better than one.”
A sea change
The winning candidate will inherit a Fire Department still reeling from last year’s Sofa Super Store blaze. The June 18, 2007, tragedy was the largest single loss of firefighter lives since 9/11. It rocked the city and its beloved fire department and triggered intense scrutiny of the department’s equipment and tactics.
A city-appointed panel of firefighting consultants confirmed many of the concerns in May when it issued a scathing report on the department and its handling of the sofa store fire.
Thomas abruptly announced his retirement on the eve of the panel’s report. His departure signaled the end of an era, and gave the city an opportunity to bring the department more in line with similar-size operations around the country.
The city hired Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment to conduct the national search for $22,500, plus expenses . Oldani, the firm’s senior vice president, had expected about 70 applications but ended with twice that number when the application window closed in early August. Oldani, who has conducted fire chief searches all over the country, said this slate was among the most impressive he’d seen in his career.
The minimum qualifications the city stipulated for the job reflect a national trend toward better-educated fire chiefs.
Candidate profiles
Richard Brannon, 51, is deputy chief of operations for the Mobile (Ala.) Fire-Rescue Department. A Mobile native, Brannon is a 30-year veteran of the fire service, including three years as a deputy chief. Brannon holds two bachelor’s degrees and has chief and executive fire officer certifications. He oversees about 400 firefighters in the city’s 20 stations. He also is a lieutenant commander with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, and was recognized for his work with relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina.
Thomas Carr, 54, is chief of the Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Service. He has 30 years experience in the fire service, including four years as chief. The Charleston native oversees more than 1,000 career firefighters and roughly the same number of volunteers. Carr, who holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, also was a fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Known as an innovator, Carr invited Charleston fire commanders to train at his department following the deadly Sofa Super Store blaze.
Larry Collins is a retired director and chief of the Dayton (Ohio) Fire Department and has three decades of firefighting experience, including 11 years as chief. Collins, who holds a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University, was among three finalists for the fire chief’s job in Wilmington, N.C., earlier this year. Collins’ career included a brush with death during a 1986 fire in Dayton. His tenure as chief coincided with lean economic times in the city, and the Fire Department saw staffing cuts and station closings on his watch.
Jamie Geer is the chief of Clearwater (Fla.) Fire and Rescue, with 33 years in the fire service and four years experience as chief. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the State University of West Georgia and a chief fire officer designation. The union representing Clearwater’s firefighters has had a stormy relationship with Geer, and its delegates voted in June to censure him and boycott the city, alleging unfair labor practices.
William Goodwin, 52, retired in November as chief of the Baltimore Fire Department. A 33-year veteran, he came up through the ranks of the department and served eight years as chief. He holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and also received a fellowship to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He enjoyed widespread support for a time, but resigned amid great controversy after the February death of a female recruit during a live-burn training exercise.
John Rukavina, 57, retired in June as public safety director for Wake County, N.C. Rukavina began his career in Minnesota and served 36 years in the fire service, including 14 years as chief and eight as public safety director. Rukavina, who has a law degree from the University of Minnesota, is a FEMA fellow at the Kennedy School of Government and holds chief and executive fire officer designations. He was a finalist for the fire chief job in Georgia’s Cobb County earlier this year.
Thomas Solberg, a 30-year fire service veteran, has served as chief of the Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Fire Department for eight years. He holds a master’s degree from Baker University and a chief fire officer certification. Solberg’s department has about 140 employees in seven stations. He was a finalist last year for the fire chief’s job in Lincoln, Neb. He is a former firefighters’ union president in Lee’s Summit, the union said.