Public opinion counts in DeKalb fire chief choice | www.myajc.com

Public opinion will carry unusual weight in his decision on a new fire chief, Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May acknowledges.

He plans to pick between two finalists by year’s end. The selection carries extra pressure in DeKalb as the county beset by scandal tries to boost its image.

“I don’t want to target one over the other,” May said, after a public forum introducing both hopefuls to the community. “But I do want residents to have the opportunity to know who both candidates are so I can be transparent and fair in my selection.”

The two finalists have sharply different resumes. Teresa Everett’s career has been marked by short stints in several fire departments and more than a decade working in various other jobs. Darnell Fullum has worked in the Fulton County Fire Department for 28 years, and his only other job was soldier in the U.S. Army.

Everett has been fire chief in Gary, Ind., for a year. Fullum has served as Fulton’s deputy chief since 2008.

Some firefighters have expressed worry about Everett’s career trajectory, noting that she is enmeshed in a public dispute with her department’s firefighters over issues such as docked pay.

But resident reaction at the recent public meeting – where both Everett and Fullum answered pre-approved questions about policy and politics – shows the challenge facing May.

via Public opinion counts in DeKalb fire chief choice | www.myajc.com.