Residents can weigh in on Lynchburg’s search for a new fire chief Monday as the city enters its fifth month without a permanent leader for the department.
The community input session is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the lecture hall of E.C. Glass High School. It is part of a “broad recruitment effort that includes opportunities for feedback from fire personnel, residents, and community partners,” according to a city press release.
The department has been led by an acting fire chief, Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Wright, since mid-November, when Chief Greg Wormser suddenly retired after being placed on paid administrative leave. The city has not released details about why Wormser was placed on leave because it is a personnel matter.
The search to fill the role is being led by Raftelis, a recruitment and leadership consulting firm that also conducted Lynchburg’s recent search for its new police chief. That role was made vacant in September when Chief Ryan Zuidema left to take the top police job in Wilmington, North Carolina. The spot was filled in late January by Ken Edwards, who rose to the top rank after three decades of service in Lynchburg’s police department.
At Monday’s community meeting, residents can share their ideas on the leadership qualities, experience and priorities that should guide Raftelis’ national recruitment process for the fire chief, according to the press release. Input gathered will help inform the screening of applicants and development of interview questions.
City officials plan to announce a new fire chief in May, according to the press release. In the meantime, residents who cannot attend the input session in person can share their thoughts in a survey on the city’s website.
Wright plans to retire on June 1, said Hollie Jennings, special assistant to the city manager. His role is not being advertised at this time and “will follow a normal promotional process” once the new fire chief is in place, she added.
The search process for the fire chief builds on a separate, ongoing assessment of the fire department’s climate and culture. The study is “focused on listening to department personnel, recognizing organizational strengths, identifying opportunities for growth, and strengthening the department for the future,” according to the press release.
When City Manager Wynter Benda placed Wormser on administrative leave in November, he simultaneously initiated the independent assessment of the fire department. The contract for that assessment was awarded to Raftelis in January for $189,500, according to the city’s request for proposals database.
The request for proposals calls for “assessment, evaluation, and analysis of the climate and culture, as well as the recruitment and hiring processes” of the fire department, along with “recommendations for improvement and a roadmap of priorities to be used in the recruitment of a Fire Chief” — all to be completed by March 31.
“While the department benefits from a strong sense of mission and community service, it also faces challenges typical of modern fire and rescue agencies. These may include communication gaps, intercultural effectiveness, expectations around leadership and accountability, and the need to ensure that internal practices align with the department’s stated values,” the request for proposals reads. “A clearer understanding of the current climate will help the City identify strengths to build upon as well as areas needing targeted improvement.”
How “career development opportunities, supervisory effectiveness, workload, and the department’s overall cultural climate” shape firefighter retention rates is a focus of the study, too, as described in the request for proposals. “Understanding how these dynamics affect morale and organizational health is essential to developing a prioritized roadmap for improvement,” it reads.
The Lynchburg Fire Department is staffed with more than 200 personnel across eight stations and is one of 15 Virginia fire departments accredited by the International Fire Services Accreditation Congress, according to the request for proposals.
“Our fire department is filled with dedicated professionals who serve this community with courage and commitment every day,” said Benda in a February press release about the search for the new fire chief. “As we continue listening through our internal assessment process, we are also looking ahead. Our goal is to ensure this search reflects the values, priorities, and needs of both our organization and our community.”
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Updated 11:55 a.m. March 30: Deputy Chief Jonathan Wright plans to retire June 1. Information about this vacancy has been added to the story.