By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
SUAMICO – Four finalists for Suamico’s full-time fire chief position have been selected by the village’s Fire Commission for interviews Jan. 9-10, said Village Administrator Alex Kaker.
Kaker said the commission narrowed the field of candidates Dec. 23 by selecting the following finalists with their respective backgrounds:
• Joe Bertler – battalion chief, Bellevue Fire Department; lead fire inspector, Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety; and assistant fire chief, Suamico Fire Department.
• Brent Foss – assistant fire chief, DeForest Windsor Fire and EMS, De Forest; and fire instructor, Madison Area Technical College, Madison.
• Lance Homann – administrative captain/training officer, Evans Fire Protection District (Colorado).
• Marvin Roderick – fire captain/hazardous materials officer, City of Peoria, Illinois, Fire Department; and field instructor, Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, Illinois.
The village is now in the process of switching from a part-time to a full-time fire chief, as recommended by a staffing committee, to meet future personnel needs for the fire department, for which plans are also in the works to build a new Fire Station No. 1.
The current part-time chief, Troy Noe, did not pursue the full-time position.
Noe is continuing to serve as the village fire chief until a new full-time chief is hired.
He expressed an interest in remaining with the fire department wherever the new chief would decide is best.
A consulting firm the village hired to help select a full-time chief, Public Administration Associates, has been working with the Fire Commission, which has the discretion of selecting the next chief.
Kaker said the new chief could possibly begin the position in early 2020.