Toledo fire Battalion Chief Brian Byrd will become the department’s next leader following the retirement of Chief Luis Santiago next week.
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced Chief Byrd’s promotion during a news conference Tuesday. He said Chief Byrd has “almost impossible shoes to fill,” but added he hopes the new chief will continue Chief Santiago’s efforts to build stronger relationships with the firefighters’ union and better use the department’s resources.
The mayor also said Chief Byrd’s background as a paramedic should provide him with a skill set to improve a fire department that increasingly finds itself strained by the skyrocketing frequency of medical runs.
“Almost 90 percent of what we do is EMS,” Chief Byrd said. “That really puts a strain on not just Toledo fire, but any fire department across the country that provides EMS service. So that’s one of the primary things we need to be doing.”
Chief Byrd, 52, is one of several administrators Mr. Kapszukiewicz has appointed since he took office in January. On Tuesday the mayor also announced Amy Sackman Odum will become the new director of neighborhoods and business development, and Anne Bennett will become the new chief information officer.
Ms. Odum was the director of community development for the city of Lima from 2004 to 2016 and currently works in the private sector. She’ll be paid $105,000 annually. Ms. Bennett is the former chief information officer for the Toledo Museum of Art and will be paid $110,000 annually.
The mayor still is searching for a finance director.
Mr. Kapszukiewicz publicly identified three fire chief finalists last week: Assistant Chief Karen Marquardt, Battalion Chief David Hitt, and Chief Byrd.
In response to criticism from community leaders that the mayor implemented a lax interview process, Mr. Kapszukiewicz said he made the selection of the new fire chief a high priority.
“For what it is worth, I probably put more time and effort into the selection of a new chief than any other position I've had up here. I understand that the chief is responsible for 500 firefighters, but chief of staff is responsible for 2,600 individuals and I went through just about the same process with her,” he said. “There were not extensive interviews for law director, assistant chief of staff, for communications director. I think there's no exact science on how to do this. I think it's just a mix of resume, personality, character reference you get from other people. You know it when you see it.”
.@ElectWade says Battalion Chief Brian Byrd, who has worked at @ToledoFire for more than 30 years, has big shoes to fill for retiring Chief Luis Santiago @tfrd111.
— Allison Dunn (@AllisonDBlade) July 24, 2018
RELATED: Finalists raise questions during Toledo fire chief search | Toledo Fire Chief reflects on 34-year career | Toledo Fire Chief Santiago announces retirement
The mayor previously said he wanted a fire chief he could get along with, someone who could positively lead the department, and a leader who could increase the number of minority recruits.
“We’re behind the eight ball on this. Part of the problem is our safety forces need to reflect the community they serve,” Chief Byrd said of diversity recruitment. “There’s all kinds of negative things out there in the news media about relationships with community and public safety, and part of that, I think, is the perception created by the fact that people don’t see other people who look like them.”
Mr. Kapszukiewicz said he consulted with various members of the community before making his selection. He said he did not seek Chief Santiago’s recommendation because he “knew the feedback I would get from him,” knowing the chief previously recommended Assistant Chief Marquardt as his replacement.
Congratulations @bcbrian_tfrd The @ToledoFire department is in good hands! https://t.co/0AI4UXtpWg
— Karen Marquardt (@tfrd112) July 24, 2018
Both the mayor and Local 92 President Jeff Koenigseker said the union had no role in the selection process.
“I’ve had a 25-year working relationship with Brian Byrd, and I look forward to continue that relationship in his new capacity,” Mr. Koenigseker said.
WATCH: Toledo Fire Chief Santiago discusses his retirement
Chief Byrd joined the fire department in 1988, and was promoted to a lieutenant in 1992. As a lieutenant, he was certified as a nationally registered EMT-paramedic from the Northwest Ohio Paramedic Training Program at the Medical College of Ohio, where he received both academic and clinical excellence awards.
He served as a captain from 1997 to 2000. From 2000 to 2008, he worked as a battalion chief both in line operations and the emergency medical services bureau.
Chief Byrd was promoted to deputy chief in 2008, where he served for eight years. He was responsible for administrative duties, and the development of policies, and protocols related to fire and medical emergency operations.
In 2016, Chief Byrd took a self-demotion from deputy chief.
“There were some differences in leadership style and some things I wanted to do differently that I thought I could do differently in a different position, which I was fine with that,” Chief Byrd said. “I went back to the street as a battalion chief, which gave me the opportunity to do some of those things.”
As a senior battalion chief, he is responsible for administrative and emergency operations of personnel and resources in his fire district, which is composed of six fire stations. He is also in charge of daily staffing, training, and logistical needs for 19 fire stations and more than 100 firefighters.
Being fire chief was something he never thought of until recently, he said. When Chief Santiago announced his retirement, he said he was approached by members of the department about the idea.
Chief Byrd will select his administrative staff. On Tuesday, he said he is working to determine his four deputy chiefs. One of those deputies will then be named assistant chief, he said.
City spokesman Ignazio Messina said Chief Byrd’s salary has not yet been set. Chief Santiago makes $116,993 a year.
Chief Byrd serves as a member of the advisory board for the Salvation Army and the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio.
Chief Byrd will shadow the outgoing fire chief over the next several days, and Chief Santiago said he has prepared a transition packet for his successor.
Blade staff writer Sarah Elms contributed to this report.
Contact Allison Dunn at adunn@theblade.com, 419-724-6506 or on Twitter @AllisonDBlade.
First Published July 24, 2018, 5:38 p.m.
