Cincinnati fire chief list now at 4, down from 38
Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long has narrowed the list of fire chief candidates from 38 to four.
The remaining four include Steven Breitfelder, an assistant Cincinnati fire chief and the current acting chief.
The city is in the midst of searching for a fire chief after Long fired Chief Michael Washington in March, alleging he created a hostile work environment for female firefighters and then failed to respond to orders that the culture be fixed.
Washington, after serving 28 years in the department, was chief from May 2021 to March of this year when he was fired from his $170,000-a-year job.
Washington denied the charges and has filed a federal lawsuit claiming he was fired without due cause and due process, a violation of the city's charter. Washington had no warnings or reprimands in his personnel file prior to being fired, The Enquirer found.
Here are the finalists.
Steven Breitfelder
Breitfelder has been an assistant Cincinnati fire chief since 2017. As assistant chief, he has overseen the Human Resources Division and Fire/EMS Operations Division. He joined the department in 1990 and also serves in the Ohio Air National Guard. He has a bachelor's degree, along with a master's of military operational art and science degree.
The Cincinnati Fire Department: Operates 26 fire stations, housing 26 engine companies. It also provides response coverage to 25 miles of Ohio River shoreline, with a budget of $148 million.
Experience: 32-year veteran of the department; interim fire chief during the new chief search.
Frank C. McKinley
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 the assistant chief of training and administration. He has been with the department since 1995. He has bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
About 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.
Experience: 28 years fire/EMS experience.
Francis X. DiPaula Jr.
DiPaula has been the Baltimore County Fire Department deputy division chief since 2015, serving as the department's acting chief for seven months in 2019. Prior to his current job, he was a battalion chief. He has been with the department since 1988.
About the Baltimore County Fire Department: 25 stations, with 1,100 career members, 2,000 volunteers and budget of $113 million.
Experience: 34 years fire/EMS experience.
Brian Schaeffer
Schaeffer has been the Spokane, Washington, fire chief since 2005. He previously served as deputy chief of the Yakima, Washington, Fire Department and fire chief of the Wright City Fire District in Missouri. He has bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
About the Spokane Fire Department: The department has 430 full-time employees with a budget of $70 million.
Experience: 30 years fire/EMS experience.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati fire chief search shrinks to 4
