AFD announces candidates for chief

The Austin Fire Department is getting a new chief, and the candidates have been announced:

• Joel Baker – Served as fire chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department in Atlanta, Georgia, until his retirement in February 2018.
• Noel Horan – Assistant to the director with the San Antonio Fire Department in San Antonio, Texas.
• Steve Landin – Fire chief and emergency management coordinator for the city of Laredo, Texas.
• Kevin McGee – Chief for the Department of Fire and Rescue in Prince William County, Virginia.
• Mark Rohlfing – Fire chief for the Milwaukee Fire Department in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Scott Walker – Assistant chief for the Phoenix Fire Department in Phoenix, Arizona.

The AFD, with 1,151 firefighters and 106 civilian staff members, is the 16th largest in the country. The new chief will be in charge of the $200 million annual operating budget, as well as planning, directing, and coordinating the department’s activities. The department is currently led by Interim Chief Tom Dodds. The previous chief, Rhoda Mae Kerr, left the AFD in July to be the fire chief in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Panel interviews for the six chief candidates will take place next week.