Crime & Safety
City Selects Interim Fire Chief
Roger Bloom, a 22-year-veteran of the Palo Alto Fire Department, takes over for retiring chief Dale Foster July 30.
Gilroy will have an interim fire chief July 30 as the current head of the department steps down due to retirement, Joe Kline, the city's public information officer, said in a media release.
Current chief Dale Foster is set to retire August 17 and his replacement, Roger Bloom, is slated to take over the position.
"We are extremely excited to have secured someone of Roger's level of professionalism, knowledge and experience in the fire service," said City Manager Tom Haglund in the release.
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Haglund said Bloom's experience in operations, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency planning, training and support services will serve the Gilroy community well.
Bloom worked in the city of Palo Alto's fire department for 22 years, Kline said. He served as the chief of operations and deputy chief of operations, EMS, training and support services during that time.
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Although other candidates were considered, Bloom's experience, leadership style and management acumen put him ahead of the pack, Kline said.
Among his credentials are Fire Officer Certification, Strike Team Leader Certification and numerous Incident Command System Certifications.
He will be earning a monthly salary of $14,525 and work as a full-time schedule member of the city's executive management team.
Recruitment for a permanent fire chief will commence soon, Kline said, and Bloom will be assisting with the effort.