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(San Diego, California) A 22 year veteran of the
San Diego Fire Department is expected to be confirmed as its next chief when
city council meets on Monday.
Tracy Jarman was nominated this week by Mayor
Jerry Sanders. If as expected council agrees to his choice Jarman will lead a
department that includes 928 firefighters, 124 lifeguards, 85 uniformed
positions in Emergency Medical Services, and 121 civilians, and manage a budget
of $160 million.
Jarman will join an elite group of
just two dozen female fire chiefs in the United States, and will be the first in
San Diego. Of the 24 female fire chiefs in the nation, only Joanne Hayes-White
of San Francisco runs a department larger than San Diego’s.
She also will be one of only a handful of openly
lesbian fire chiefs in the country.
Jarman is 50 and lives with her domestic partner.
She began her career at the department as a
recruit, working her way up.
Sanders said that she was the unanimous choice of
a five-member selection committee that considered over 30 candidates for the
position.
"Tracy Jarman was the best
candidate for the job; our nationwide search clearly demonstrated that she is at
the top of her field," said Sanders.
"Her experience, professional
competence, steely determination and proven ability to work well with others
distinguished her from the field of highly qualified candidates that were
considered."
Sanders, himself a former police chief,
said that he has encouraged Jarman to "strike her own path and make the
department her own."
Sanders said he has asked Jarman to
prepare a realistic plan of action for the department within the next six
months.
As assistant chief, Jarman was
responsible for the support services areas of the department for all fire,
emergency medical and lifeguard services within the City of San Diego, including
personnel, budget, fleet, facilities, fire prevention, dispatch, and information
technology services.
Prior to being appointed assistant
chief, Tracy served in the position of deputy chief overseeing the 911 Fire and
Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Center for five years.
©365Gay.com 2006
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