Mayor Frey announces pick for next Minneapolis fire chief
Minneapolis mayor announces pick for next fire chief
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced his pick for the city's next fire chief.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has chosen a former Oakland fire chief as his pick to lead the Minneapolis Fire Department.
Minneapolis next fire chief
What we know:
Mayor Frey announced Wednesday that he has chosen Dr. Reginald Freeman as the nominee for the city's next fire chief.
Dr. Freeman is the former fire chief for the City of Oakland. He has also served as the fire chief and emergency management director for the City of Hartford, as a civilian fire chief for the Department of Defense in Iraq, and as an executive director of fire and emergency medical service in Saudi Arabia.
What they're saying:
"Dr. Freeman brings a rare mix of hands-on experience and proven leadership that will help guide our fire department into the future," said Mayor Frey in a provided statement. "Minneapolis aims to be on the cutting edge of emergency response, and Dr. Freeman will help us get there, while building on the excellence in service for which our firefighters are known."
"Minneapolis is a nationally recognized city, and the opportunity to serve as its next Fire Chief is both professionally meaningful and personally motivating," said Dr. Freeman. "This is an opportunity to help lead a proud fire department with a strong history, highly capable personnel, and tremendous potential for continued modernization and growth. I believe in supporting firefighters, developing future leaders, strengthening community trust, and positioning the department for long-term success."
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The backstory:
Former chief Bryan Tyner retired at the end of last year after a 30-year career with the department.
Mayor Frey tapped Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker to serve as the interim chief after Tyner's departure, while the department conducted a nationwide search for the next chief. Rucker was expected to return to her role as assistant fire chief after the search was complete.
What's next:
The mayor is set to formally submit Dr. Freeman's nomination to the city council. Dr. Freeman is scheduled to meet with members of the fire department, the council, city staff, and community leaders in the coming days.
After that, the council will schedule a public hearing and then a confirmation vote.
In the meantime, Interim Chief Rucker will continue to lead the department pending the vote.