JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The countdown is on for a new fire chief in Jacksonville.
On July 1, a new chief of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) will be announced by the mayor’s office.
The current fire chief, Keith Powers, announced an early retirement in May. He will be leaving on June 30.
Lots of current and former firefighters have applied for top spot.
The deadline to apply was May 30, and the city decided to hire from within.
The mayor will appoint the new fire chief, and it is subject to confirmation by the city council.
There are 17 candidates, another 12 were deemed ineligible. The candidates on the short list meet the basic criteria, including the requirement that they are currently serving at JFRD.
Here is a look at the list of potential candidates:
- Aaron Bebernitz
- Damien Bell
- Jacob Blanton
- James Davis
- Percy Golden
- Darin Hooten
- Renaldo Horn
- Bryon Iveson
- Willie King
- Benjamin Kodatt
- Christopher McKeown
- Eric Mitchell
- Timothy Nguyen
- Michael Pluhacek
- Paul Rigdon
- Steven Serrato
- Todd Smith
(Click here to read more on each candidate)
After the new chief is hired, they will be the Director of Fire and Rescue, reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer and will be responsible for managing the operation and control of fire and rescue services.
