'A fresh start.' Cincinnati taps Dallas official as new fire chief
Cincinnati's next fire chief will be Frank C. McKinley, who will come to the job after serving as an assistant chief with the Dallas-Fire Rescue Department for seven years.
City Manager Sheryl Long announced the new chief Tuesday after a six-month search that garnered 38 applicants.
“This community and department are ready for a fresh start and a new voice of leadership at the helm," Long said. McKinley starts Oct. 9.
McKinley said he values the voices in the department and will spend his first weeks listening to what the members have to say. He acknowledged there needs to be improvement as Long is seeking, but praised the department for its national reputation as one of the best in the nation.
He said he wants to be a "beacon of light" for citizens.
The city has been searching for a fire chief since Long fired Chief Michael Washington in March, alleging Washington created a hostile work environment for female firefighters and then failed to respond to orders that the culture be fixed.
Assistant Fire Chief Steven Breitfelder has been interim chief since then as the city conducted a national search for a new chief. He applied for the job and made the shortlist, but was ultimately not selected.
McKinley is an assistant fire chief with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. He is currently the assistant chief of communications and administration and before that was the assistant chief of training and administration. He has been with the department since 1995. He has bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
On his application, he wrote, "I have earned the reputation of one who delivers impactful data-driven outcomes while cultivating relationships with colleagues and constituents. I pride myself in developing the strengths of command officers and staff and know I can make a difference in the City of Cincinnati."
Although McKinley comes in as assistant chief, it's from a larger department. The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department has 59 fire stations, with over 2,000 members. Dallas Fire-Rescue covers 385 square miles and over 1.3 million Dallas residents with a budget of $335.7 million.
Cincinnati has 26 fire stations, housing 26 engine companies. It has 820 firefighters, not including recruits. It also provides response coverage to 25 miles of Ohio River shoreline and has a budget of $148 million.
He has 28 years of fire/EMS experience experience. He currently manages the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department's 911 center, which involves recruiting and technology knowledge. Cincinnati's 911 center is civilian-run, but knowledge of its working is important as the city puts a priority on hiring and improvements in its 911 center in the wake of the death of 16-year-old Kyle Plush. He also has served Dallas as an assistant chief of training and administration.
Long said when she fired Washington that he was not capable of overseeing the changes needed to improve the environment for female workers, Long said.
“I want to be clear that I do not tolerate discriminatory, hostile, or unfair working environments in any City department,” Long said.
Washington denied the charges and has filed a federal lawsuit claiming without due cause and due process and violated its own charter. Washington had no warnings or reprimands in his personnel file prior to being fired.
The issue is critical because Long said there are still issues of unfairness toward women in the department. She has said once the new chief is in place a full assessment of the department would be done.
About Fire Chief Frank McKinley
Age: 51
Family: Father: three adult children
Education: Bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctorate
Born: Biloxi, Mississippi; moved to Dallas for his first firefighting job 28 years ago
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's new fire chief unveiled Tuesday
