The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Board of Directors is considering five finalists for fire chief after testing and interviews on Monday.
The fire chief will succeed Mike Beaver, who retires on June 30.
The district received approximately 17 applications for the chief’s position.
“They were all good candidates with the qualifications, so it was really hard to screen,” said Board President Dawn Mitchell.
The five candidates appeared at an open house Sunday evening at the Elks Lodge. They are Dave Barringer, Jay Curless, Mike Greene, Jim Price and Guy Smith.
Barringer lives in Sweet Home and is an acting lieutenant at Albany Fire Department.
Curless is a fire specialist in Oak Grove, a Kansas City, Mo., suburb.
Green, a resident of Tomasket, Wash., is a retired fire chief from a small department near Reno, Nev.
Price is fire chief in Baker City.
Smith is a battalion chief at Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District.
Also present at the open house was Julie Mayfield, who has been hired to succeed administrative assistant Diane Shank. Mayfield is activities director with Creswell Health and Rehab. Shank will work with her prior to retiring on June 30.
Mayfield was selected from about 60 applicants.
The district is receiving assistance in the hiring process from the Oregon Special Districts Association.