Kansas City (MO) Fire Chief Smokey Dyer plans to retire at the end of this month.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/NOOJco) reports that Dyer’s last day will be July 30. He said an interim fire chief will take over July 31.
Dyer led the Kansas City Fire Department through a dramatic period of growth over the last 12 years, increasing the firefighting force and presiding over the construction or renovation of numerous fire stations. Those improvements were funded through a fire safety sales tax that he championed. But he clashed with the city council and city manager this year when the department faced layoffs and significant budget cuts for the first time in decades. Ultimately, the department was able to avoid massive layoffs when the union agreed to some wage concessions, and the city obtained a federal grant to keep several fire stations open.
Read more at http://bit.ly/NOOJco.
