Right at 40 years since Kevin McGee started in the fire service, he started as the Waco Fire Department’s new interim chief, expecting to serve until the spring.
The former chief of the Prince William County Department of Fire Safety and Rescue, in Virginia, took the role in Waco on Jan. 1. He said he is excited to be in Waco and has been impressed with local firefighters.
“I started in the fire rescue business actually 40 years ago this week,” McGee said Friday. “Until now, it was all in Prince William County Fire and Rescue where I came up through the ranks and have had some role in every element in fire and emergency management service.”
McGee, 63, retired about a year ago, after 11 years as chief in Prince William County, overseeing 750 employees. The Waco Fire Department has 203 civil service firefighters.
“When I retired, I still had that passion for public service, so when this opportunity came up, I didn’t even hesitate,” McGee said. “I will be here until the new chief is selected and I look forward to helping the department, providing leadership and supporting local members here the best I can.”
Strategic Government Resources, a recruitment firm the city of Waco hired, sought McGee to fill the interim role for after former Waco Fire Chief Bobby Tatum retired Dec. 31. The city is paying McGee $88.46 an hour to serve as interim chief, city records state.
Assistant City Manager Bradley Ford said the recruitment firm is continuing the process to find the next fire chief.
“We have conducted a review of candidates from across the country, and the field is very strong,” Ford said in an email. “We will have at least two rounds of interviews to continue to narrow the very experienced and accomplished field of candidates.”
McGee, an avid boater, a father of two and grandparent of seven, said his wife will join him in Waco at least until a permanent chief is named, likely by spring. He said he is new to Waco but has family in Central and North Texas.
“I don’t think any organization can take a pause, so as a department we are going to look at developing some goals that we can create, some of which will be short-term, and I hope we can see some things through that will make the organization better and safer,” McGee said. “I am going to be seeking a lot of input from the department before we put a plan forward, but we are going to do that in short order.”
Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Vranich gave McGee tours of the city and its fire stations during his first week.
“It’s been a thrill for me with the hospitality and how the members have welcomed me here and create a dialogue right from the beginning,” McGee said. “There is a lot of expertise in this organization that knows what we need to do, and I intend to tap into that.”
Last year, Waco firefighters responded to 19,662 incidents, including 228 reported as structure fires, according to department records. McGee said call times and a consistently high level of care will be a focus for him.
“I am going to do everything I can to help this department do what we need to do to position ourselves for the new fire chief coming in and to position the department to not skip a beat,” McGee said.
— WACOTRIB