Mayor John Tecklenburg and City Council met with four candidates vying for the post of fire chief in an executive, private session of City Council Tuesday morning.
All four candidates will spend today and Wednesday meeting with city officials and touring the city, according to a statement from the city. They have all previously served as fire chiefs, with their total experience in fire service ranging from 28 years to 44 years.
1. Applicant Paul J. Beradi is the fire chief in Kansas City, Mo. He has 32 years of experience in fire service and holds a master’s of public administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
2. Raymond Cain serves as fire chief in Cary, N.C. and boasts 34 years of experience. He holds a master’s of public administration from North Carolina State University.
3. Daniel Curia is the fire chief in Durham, N.C. He has a master’s in leadership from Grand Canyon University and has worked for fire departments for the past 28 years.
4. Lastly, our own interim fire chief John Tippett is also competing for his current position. He has a master’s in emergency service management from Columbia Southern University. Tippet was named interim fire chief by Mayor Tecklenburg in March 2017 after the department’s first female chief, Karen Bracka, announced her resignation. He has 44 years of experience in the fire service.
Bracka’s annual salary was $156,059.99 before her departure, according to a salary spreadsheet on the city website’s “transparency” section. The spreadsheet was last updated in 2016.
Tippett’s salary is a little lower at $128,749.99, up from the $109,894.80 he made as deputy chief of operations.
Negotiations for a new salary will begin after a candidate is chosen, according to city spokesman Jack O’Toole.
The candidates will also meet with the Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, according to Live 5 News.
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