The City of Lakeland is advertising for a fire chief job on three sites, according to Shane Horn, Lakeland city manager.
Friday (12.7.18) the City posted the position on sites for the Tennessee Municipal League, MTAS (Municipal Technical Advisory Service) and the City website. The job posting will will link to the City site Monday, according to Mr. Horn.
Links to the sites and job description:
https://www.tml1.org/employment-opportunities
https://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/municipal_employment
Two weeks ago the City announced that Chief Dennis Wolf would not be moving forward with Lakeland as its chief of the Lakeland Fire Department, due to start July 1.
Chief Wolf, former chief of the fire department in Germantown and now chief fire consultant for MTAS, said he is staying with MTAS in lieu of coming to head the new department in Lakeland. He cited “change” in the City and said it was in his best interest to remain with MTAS.
“Lakeland is a dynamic city that is poised for tremendous growth and development, and I was looking forward to working with Lakeland’s outstanding staff and being a part of that,” said Chief Wolf in a Nov. 27 press release. “However, things change, and it is in my best interest to remain with MTAS. I will continue to support Lakeland in any way possible as their MTAS Fire Consultant”.
During the days and weeks leading to the Nov. 6th election in Lakeland, it was no secret that several candidates were running on a platform to squelch the plan for a local fire department. The candidates sought to facilitate the City staying with the Shelby County Fire Department which runs the one station in Lakeland, owned by Lakeland. Among the issues mentioned were safety to citizens and costs to the City.
The new members of the Board of Commission, Mayor Mike Cunningham and Commissioners Michele Dial and Richard Gonzales Jr., were sworn into office Thursday night (12.6.18). Mayor Cunningham and Commissioner Gonzales were among the candidates who did not wish to pursue a Lakeland Fire Department at this time.
Of the new job posting, Vice Mayor Josh Roman said, “We have current active legislation to create a fire department. We need to continue moving forward.”
Mayor Cunningham was asked for his comment on advertising the Lakeland fire chief position.
Although Mr. Cunningham has not responded to LC, his political supporters have quoted him on social media as saying he continues to oppose the formation of a fire department in Lakeland.
They quote him as saying he estimates the cost for the first two years to be more than $10 million as opposed to the estimate by Mr. Wolf that Lakeland could save an estimated $800,000 per year from the $2.4 million generated from the current fire fee paid to the Shelby County Fire Department.
