A headhunter hired by the city to help find a new fire chief has referred more than 12 candidates, according to Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Pare.
But 14 months after the departure of Fire Chief Clarence A. Cunha, the search continues.
“The process of identifying and recruiting the right fire chief is still underway,” Pare said.
Some of the candidates referred by the headhunter have been interviewed, he said. Others haven’t.
The city doesn’t have a timeline for making the hire, Pare said, before he added: “we need a fire chief sooner rather than later.”
The climate for a hire might be improving: Relations between the city and the firefighters' union have gone from publicly tense to publicly cordial.