NB fire chief finalists take center stage

The two finalists for New Braunfels’ next fire chief spent the past few days interviewing with city staffers and elected officials and touring fire facilities. On Thursday, they visited with the citizens they hope to serve.

Both Gregory Rodgers and Ruy Lozano are steeped in occupational and administrative experience. Rodgers, 56, has served the past three years as assistant chief in Schertz after 31 years with the College Station Fire Department. Lozano, 46, has spent his entire 25-year career with the Houston Fire Department and now serves as its assistant chief in charge of resource management.

City Manager Robert Camareno praised both men, saying their experiences dealing with growth make them superb finalists for New Braunfels. He plans to spend more time with each finalist before recommending one of them to New Braunfels City Council.

Patrick O’Connell resigned last Sept. 20 after spending just over two years leading the 140-member NBFD. After naming Mike Wehman as NBPD interim chief, the city’s national search began in November. 

Strategic Government Resources, an executive recruitment firm based in Keller, helped the city shape an outline for what it sought for its new chief, a position paying between $107,346 and $182,489 annually. The city posted the position Dec. 15 and closed applications Jan. 16. 

“I think it’s important for people to understand how extensive this process is,” Camareno said. “We started with 38 applicants for the position and then narrowed it down to eight semifinalists who each had a number of things they had to accomplish. 

“First, was a recorded interview in which they answered a number of questions we provided, and then responded to written questions. We took that information to review those candidates, which we narrowed down to four.” 

Camareno said another set of interviews produced the two finalists, who attended a reception with the fire department in council chambers on Wednesday, then returned Thursday for interviews with three panels, each consisting of fire department members and city leadership staffers.

Also, the finalists met with council members, toured brand new emergency facilities – the new police station under construction across from the newly-renovated and soon-to-open Comal County Sheriff’s Office, and the new Fire Station No. 2 on Water Lane, which will open after Fire Station No. 3 opens on Hanz Drive later this spring.

“They also looked at the temporary facilities, along with Westside Community Center and other areas of town,” Camareno said.

Both men hail from departments that are larger and smaller than New Braunfels. 

“Chief Lozano comes from Houston, with 3,400 firefighters; Chief Rodgers spent most of his years with the College Station department, which is very similar in size to our fire department,”

Camareno said, adding both departments are in high-growth areas that need planning, budgeting, preparing and leading. 

“The one thing we want is a chief that will be with us for a long time, one who can give us some consistency and plan for the growth in not only our community, but also (Comal County’s) Emergency Services District No. 7.

ESDs provide fire and emergency medical services throughout the county. ESD No. 7, in the Creekside/Resolute Hospital area, will also have a new firefighter training academy. Planned in the area are new businesses, like Continental, and new planned developments, like Veramendi and Mayfair.

“The chief will need the vision to plan for that growth, and communicate that to the fire department,” Camareno said. “He will also need to be a great fit for the organization and the community as well.”

Both candidates were impressed by the city’s new and planned facilities, each saying they are well-heeled in the challenges of matching economics with realities while providing enough personnel, vehicles and facilities to improve response times.

Rodgers, 56, grew up in San Antonio and graduated from Churchill High School. He began his near-40 year career with the Hollywood Park Fire Department and spent the next 31 years with the College Station Fire Department. Three years ago, when he wanted to return to the San Antonio area to be near his parents, he interviewed for the job in Schertz.

“Being from here and being in Schertz the last three years, I know a lot of the people here and throughout the area,” Rodgers said. “I’ve worked with these folks – we were part of the Wurstfest (fire) response – and all the way up to Austin. 

“I know this is their community – it’s something they hold very personally. It’s (similar) to what I learned while I was in College Station, and the folks there passed it forward – it was that this is our community and we will protect it with the services we need.”

Rodgers holds a Bachelor’s in Emergency Management Administration and a Masters in Business Administration, a graduate of the Texas Fire Chief’s Academy and a Center for Public Safety Excellence peer assessor.

Lozano, 46, has been with HFD since he was 21. He has a Bachelor’s in Communications, a Masters in Business Administration, is a U.S. Army Reserves veteran, a Texas Commission on Fire Protection Master Firefighter and Fire Instructor, and is also a Center for Public Safety Excellence peer assessor.

“This community is like a big family – which is pretty impressive,” said Lozano, one of 10 assistant chiefs in Houston and the one overseeing resource management.

“It’s like the business side of the fire department,” he said. “I run the capital budget, in charge of fleet acquisition and maintenance, in charge of tools, equipment and the warehouse – and I’m also the press spokesperson.”

Lozano said his job is all about logistics – and says  his strength is getting services and equipment in the right places in good times and bad – and he’s seen the latter in its worst form.

“Hurricane Harvey,” he said. “I did the logistics for that storm, and I’ve always been the one go for resources for critical events or even when concerts come to town. “It’s about the tools we need for today and in the future.”

The city’s job description says the chief performs departmental administrative activities that include budget development and oversight, policy analysis, project management and strategic planning. He also supervises recruitment, testing, hiring, performance evaluations, and outlines employee development under the guidelines of Texas Civil Service laws.

Either Rodgers or Lozano will be the first from outside the NBFD to ascend to chief since Kenneth Jacks won the top job in 2014. Camareno said his decision might take a little bit longer than that of Keith Lane, who was among four finalists for police chief a year ago. 

Lane, who had already spent several months as interim NBPD chief before the final stages of interviews, was named chief last April 27, just two days following the public reception. Lane, Mayor Rusty Brockman and others said they don’t envy Camareno, who has a tough decision ahead.

“Each of the panels presented me with feedback that will be so important and valuable to me in making that decision,” Camareno said. “I may have to meet with them again for some one-on-one time to follow up.

“I’m hoping to make a decision as quickly as possible,” he added. “But understand I’m going to take some time in making it – because it’s not just for the fire department but also the community.”