Durham fire chief among finalists for Charleston job. What’s next?

The fire chiefs in Durham and Cary are among the finalists for the post as chief of the Charleston, South Carolina, fire department, according to news reports.

The Charleston Post and Courier is reporting that Durham Fire Chief Dan Curia and Cary Fire Chief Allan Cain are among four candidates for the post. Other candidates are Paul J. Berardi, former fire chief of Kansas City, Missouri; and Charleston interim Chief John Tippett.

A specific date when the Charleston City Council will choose a new chief has not been set, said Chloe Field, communications coordinator for the city of Charleston. The four candidates went through site visits and media interviews that ended yesterday, Field said.

Attempts to reach Curia and Cain for comment Thursday were not successful. Curia did inform the city that he is interested in the position, said Beverly Thompson, public affairs director for the city of Durham.

Curia said he would move the Charleston department forward by building trust with the staff, the mayor, council and residents, according to the Post and Courier. He also would emphasize teaching fire-safe behavior and CPR and also ensuring that sprinklers are installed in buildings to suppress fires.

“I’m forward-thinking, and I’m an optimist. I seek solutions,” Curia said.

Cain, who has been the Cary fire chief for 15 years, said that his department earned top ratings and offered tuition reimbursement to encourage continuing education.

Tippett was hired as Charleston deputy chief in 2009 after serving 32 years with the Montgomery County (Maryland) Fire and Rescue Service. He took over for Charleston Chief Karen Brack when she resigned in April, the Post and Courier stated.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Durham fire chief among finalists for Charleston job. What’s next?."