Chattanooga candidates make fire chief interview short list

Four Chattanooga firefighters made the first cut of candidates seeking to become the city's next fire chief.

Administrative chiefs Philip Hyman and Seth Miller and battalion chiefs Carlos Hampton and Evan Willmore account for half the candidates selected to interview for the position, according to documents provided by Chattanooga's Department of Human Resources. Eight Chattanooga firefighters, including Capts. William Andrews, David Brooks, Donielle Dean and Shawn Reese, applied for the post.

In all, 62 candidates from across the United States have sought to replace Fire Chief Chris Adams, who retires Wednesday after 27 years of service to the city. Mayor Andy Berke appointed Adams as fire chief in 2015.

"All applicants are still under review," city spokeswoman Enora Moss said in an email Monday. "Once the top three candidates are selected, the Mayor's Office will release their names."

The other four contenders selected for interviews include Jeffery Alberts, research and planning officer for fire and emergency services of Savannah, Ga.; Mark Boyd, a regional coordinator/instructor for Tennessee Fire and Codes Enforcement Academy in West Tennessee; Jason Campbell of Powhatan, Va., an independent emergency services consultant and Michael Putt, retired fire division services director of Memphis.

Berke praised Adams for his "incredible talent, compassion and persistence" in advocating for the city's firefighters.

"Chattanooga is fortunate to have a dedicated leader serving the Chattanooga Fire Department and working every day to protect lives and property in our city," Berke said.

Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.

Upcoming Events