The clock is ticking for Utica’s temporary fire chief as his term expires at the end of the month.
James Barefoot, a former member of the Utica Fire Department who had retired in 2012 as a captain, was appointed to the position effective July 1.
As his term comes to an end the city is looking at potential replacements, including both internal and external candidates.
Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri says that at this point, the logical choice seems to be a promotion, meaning someone who’s already a member of UFD. Palmieri says it will likely be spring before the city has a permanent fire chief.
“That will end as of October first and then we will at that point have a provisional,” Palmieri said. “And we will appoint a provisional until such date that the test is taken and the results come back, sometime I believe in March.”