Austin firefighter on the short list to lead Arlington FD

The North Texas city of Arlington has named five finalists to take over as fire chief and director of the Emergency Management Department, including Austin’s Assistant Fire Chief Richard L. Davis Jr. Davis has 30 years of service with AFD. Other finalists include Jack H. Andrade of the Kansas City Fire Department in Kansas; Alvin D. Benson of the Shelby County Fire Department in Memphis, Tennessee; Robert Fite of the Grand Prairie Fire Department; and R. Bret Stidham of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. Arlington has been looking for a new chief since Don Crowson announced his May 31 retirement. The five finalists are scheduled to participate in a community forum tonight, where they will answer questions previously submitted by the public. Arlington expects to name its new fire chief within the next few weeks.