17 apply to be next Palmer fire chief

PALMER — The city is sifting through 17 applications to determine who’s most qualified to take over as Palmer’s first new fire chief in nearly four decades.

The applicants are vying for the job to replace outgoing chief Dan Contini. Contini is set to retire at the end of the year, leaving an opening at the top of the fire department, a position he’s held for nearly 40 years.

On Monday, Palmer Director of Public Safety Jon Owen said the pool of qualified applicants should make for a very competitive process.

“We had a number of people apply with sterling credentials,” Owen said.

He added the majority of applications are from Alaskans, but since the job was advertised nationwide, there are some from Outside as well. The city has a strategy Owen said should produce the best candidate to take over fire protection for the greater Palmer area.

First, a team will vet the applications, whittling them down from 17 to five. The five remaining applicants are put through a background check which, Owen said, may be as simple as verifying proper certifications. Then, an interview board composed of people who have a stake in the fire department will meet with each applicant.

Owen will be a part of the interview board, but won’t be scoring, he said. When the board has completed its interviews, he’ll ask for each member’s top three, then send a final recommendation to City Manager Bill Allen.

Allen is the one charged with doing the hiring.

Whoever is chosen to become Palmer’s next fire chief will fill the shoes of a man many credit for leading the department to where it is today. Contini has been a fixture in Palmer, where a station bears his name, since the department’s early days.

News of his departure was met with mixed reaction from the public. Firefighters in Palmer first said it appeared the city was trying to force Contini out, and Contini himself, in an interview with the Frontiersman over the summer, said he thought the same.

Allen, who asked Contini to share his plans about his future with the department over the summer, said operational changes in city management prompted him to inquire about Contini’s career plans. Contini said he was taken aback by Allen’s initial conversation about retirement and said he became emotional during the meeting.

At the time, however, Contini said he didn’t want his situation with the city to be a distraction for the fire department. By August, Contini had made up his mind to retire, though at that time it was unclear when he would do so.

When advertisements seeking a new chief began appearing on Web sites last month, it became clear change was close.

In a letter on the city’s Web site, Contini says he’s enjoyed the last 39 years with the department.

“Fire prevention and saving of personal property has meant a lot to me over the years,” Contini says. “I hope that each of you will look after each other and keep each other out of harm’s way.”

The time period to send applications for the Palmer fire chief’s job ended Dec. 4. Postings say the job pays $60,000 to $65,000 a year and requires at least seven years of fire department experience in a management or supervisory capacity.

Owen said Monday he hopes to fill the job sometime in January, which would be after Contini leaves.

In the interim, Assistant Chief Todd Russell will lead the department, Owen said.

Right now, Owen said he’s concentrating on making a hire that will benefit the residents of Palmer most. “We’re not going to sacrifice quality for speed.”

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.