Feb 27, 2008 8:55 am US/Eastern
Baltimore Gets New Fire Chief
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
There's a new fire chief in Baltimore City. The man who supervised the interstate bridge collapse in the Twin Cities will now lead Baltimore's fire department.
Mary Bubala reports Mayor Sheila Dixon plans to formally introduce Fire Chief Jim Clack Wednesday afternoon.
City Council leaders are expecting major changes and a fresh approach to old problems in a troubled department.
Clack gained national attention for his handling of last year's I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. As fire chief, he oversaw the rescue and recovery of 100 injured survivors and 13 others who died.
"This will not be a quick recovery," he said at the time. "We're gonna take it easy. We're gonna keep people safe."
Eyewitness News has learned Mayor Sheila Dixon tapped Clack to run Baltimore's fire department because of what one spokesperson called the "combination of experience and innovative thinking the mayor was looking for."
"She was impressed not only with the man but with what the people that work with him in Minneapolis had to say about him and I think what she said about him was on a scale of one to 10, he already was a 9 1/2," said Councilman Ricky Spector.
While Clack's appointment is cause for optimism, he'll also face major challenges inside a department caught up in controversy and tragedy.
Chief Goodwin resigned after the death of cadet Racheal Wilson, who was killed during a training exercise heavily criticized for 50 violations of safety standards. Goodwin also ran into tremendous resistance from union leadership.
Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says none of the department's safety and diversity in recruitment problems have gone away.
"He's gonna have to put all those issues to bed in order for us to move forward. He seemed excited about taking on that new challenge," she said.
A news conference announcing Clack's appointment is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday. He's expected to start his new job in April.
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