Casper Announces Three Fire Chief Finalists

City Manager J. Carter Napier announced the three finalists for the fire chief position Tuesday, according to a news release.

They candidates are:

• Allen Lewis, fire chief for Virginia, Minn.
• Joey Reed, retired fire chief from Kingsville, Texas.
• Thomas Solberg, fire chief for Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

They will participate in a series of assessments and interviews by a panel in Casper on Friday, Feb. 16.

"The interview panels are citizen-staffed, and their input is a key part of this process," Napier said. "I look forward to working with them."

The city received 28 applications from Oct. 30 to Nov. 19. Six applicants, including one internal candidate, were interviewed via Skype on Jan. 29.

"We have terrific and dedicated employees in the fire department who are developing their leadership skills, and I expect we will have a chief emerge from this group in the coming years," Napier said.

Jason Speiser, who has worked for the fire department since 2001. Speiser was appointed interim fire chief on Dec. 1 after Kenneth King resigned and has participated in the candidate search.