Two internal candidates advance for fire chief job

Two candidates have advanced as internal finalists for the city fire chief job.

Assistant Chief of Operations Steve Hester and Battalion Chief Bob Shupe have been selected as finalists from five internal candidates, City Manager Greg Doyon said.

Doyon said final interviews with the internal candidates are scheduled for May 8, but he has reserved the right to continue the search externally if necessary.

Five internal candidates initially applied for the job and were interviewed by two separate panels on April 9.

One panel was facilitated by Mark Willmarth and included City Commissioner Fred Burow; Neighborhood Council 4 Chair Sandra Guynn; County Commissioner Jane Weber; Bill Harp, general manager of General Mills representing industry; and Mark Cappis of Anderson ZurMuehlen CPA, representing downtown and businesses.

The peer/department panel was facilitated by Police Chief Dave Bowen and included City Planning Director Craig Raymond; Justin Grohs of Great Falls EMS; Craig Trapp, fire marshal for the city of Helena; and Curt Graves, assistant fire chief at the 120th Airlift Wing.

In Great Falls, the fire chief also serves as the city’s disaster and emergency services director and may be appointed to serve as the city’s EMS administrator.

According to the city job description, the desired minimum requirements included training, education and experience equivalent to a master’s degree in fire science, public administration or business administration.

The other desired minimum requirement was 10 years of progressively responsible firefighting and administrative experience, including a minimum of five years as a division lead or higher within a comparably sized fire department.

Hester became the assistant fire chief in Great Falls in 2004. He served 20 years in the Air Force. His fire experience includes serving as fire chief in Lewistown, hazardous materials instructor with the Montana State Fire Service Training School and was also the hazmat coordinator in Salem, Ore.

Shupe was promoted in 2013 from captain to serve as battalion chief and shift commander at Fire Station One.

Fire Chief Randy McCamley retired at the end of December after serving as fire chief since 2002.