35 Applicants Being Considered for Fire Chief Position

Manassas Park government officials said they currently have more than 30 applicants to consider for the position of Manassas Park Fire chief.

 The city began a nationwide search for another fire chief after current chief John O’Neal announced he was leaving his post after more than a half decade on the job.

 O’Neal has accepted a position in a town just North of Dallas. His official last day is Saturday.

 City officials began advertising for applicants the first week of April and are currently considering some 35 applicants.

 Manassas Park City manager Jim Zumwalt said management and line staff are all part of the applicant screening process.

 O’Neal assisted the city early on in the process when the first applications were received, Zumwalt said.

 Applicants are from Northern Virginia and across the nation, city officials said.

 Earlier this month, Manassas Park City Council had a discussion about the candidate pool and whether the new chief should be required to live in Manassas Park proper.

 At the Apr. 5 governing body meeting, Zumwalt asked for guidance on department head residency.

In 2009, the former city manager Mercury Payton created a rule that department heads had to live in the city. But over the years, that rule hasn’t consistently been applied, Zumwalt said.

 Some council members said they feel that if the best candidate lives in Northern Virginia, but would suffer a significant financial loss by having to sell their home and move to Manassas Park, then the rule shouldn’t be applied.

 Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones said he feels that way, but he also feels that the new fire chief should live within a reasonable distance so that he or she can respond quickly in an emergency situation.

 Councilman Suhas Naddoni said he strongly feels that city managers and directors should be residents of Manassas Park.

 Naddoni made a motion that all city managers and department heads, not including incumbent staff, should be required to live in Manassas Park and be given a 90-day move-in window.

 Manassas Park Councilman Preston Banks second that motion, but it ultimately failed to pass.

 In the end, council decided the new fire chief should live within a 30-mile radius. So moving East, the farthest that person could live would be Arlington County; moving West ,the farthest that person could live is Haymarket.

 Council also implemented a suggestion made by city attorney Dean Crowhurst, who said if an out-of-state candidate decides to move into the 30-mile radius and but not into Manassas Park, then the city wouldn’t reimburse that person for their relocation expenses.

If they do move into Manassas Park then they would received reimbursement, Crowhurst said.

 The city is now preparing to began interviewing candidates for the fire chief position.

 Deputy Fire Chief Todd E. Lupton will serve as acting fire chief until a new chief is hired by the city.