By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Some city aldermen are questioning why battalion chiefs are being allowed to apply for the job of St. Louis Fire Chief.
Applicants for fire chief in recent history have only included deputy chiefs. But now, battalion chiefs can apply, too, including those who were promoted to that position just a couple weeks ago by acting chief Steve Kotraba.
City Public Safety Director Charles Bryson told the Board of Aldermen's Public Safety committee Thursday that some battalion chiefs have been doing deputy chiefs' work.
"All we're doing is just increasing the number of applicants," he said. "We're not changing, if you will, the criteria for what a chief would be."
But some aldermen said the chance that a battalion chief might skip a rank and become department chief could harm morale.
"I'm going from my military experience - I just can't imagine a major being promoted to a colonel and never being a battalion commander," noted Ald. Jeffrey Boyd (Ward 22). "I think you guys should really rethink that - I mean, really, it doesn't make sense."
Bryson says he hopes to have a permanent fire chief picked by the end of this month. Thursday's appearance before the committee was his first since becoming Public Safety Director after Sam Simon's resignation last month.