HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/16/22 Civil Service CommissionAgenda
Civil Service Commission
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
2:30pm
City Manager's Conference Room
City Hall
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA
Certification of hiring list for the position of Fire
Chief
If you will need disability -related accommodations in
order to participate in this program/event, please
contact Karen Jennings, Human Resources at 399-
356-5025 or karen-iennings(a7iowa-city org. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient
time to meet your access needs.
.jlup' CITY 4F IOWA CITY
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Date: March 10, 2022
To: Civil Service Commission and City Council
From: Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Re: Approval of Fire Chief Appointment
Introduction:
In anticipation of the February 11, 2022 retirement of Fire Chief John Grier, the City Manager's
Office launched a recruitment process in the fall of 2021. The recruitment and hiring process
was approved by the Civil Service Commission at its September 21, 2021 meeting,
In the coming days, the Civil Service Commission will be asked to certify Mr. Scott Lyon as
qualified for the position of Fire Chief in accordance with the Commission approved recruitment
and hiring process. As required by the City Charter and assuming Civil Service Commission
certification, I am also seeking the City Council's approval of my appointment of Mr. Scott Lyon
to the Fire Chief position effective April 4, 2022.
Recruitment Process:
The first step in the recruitment process involved updating the job description and drafting the
position announcement. The full position announcement was posted on the City's website and
can still be viewed at https://www.icgov.org/city-clovernment/departments-and-divisions/fire-
depailment/fire-chief recruitment.
Application materials were disseminated in September 2021, and the position was advertised
through the following outlets:
• Firehouse
• Iowa Fire Chiefs Association
• International Association of Fire Chiefs
• Women in Fire
• Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL)
• University of Iowa HireaHawk
• GovDelivery (City of Iowa City news release)
• Iowa Department of Human Rights
• ICAD
• NAACP
• Iowa Vocational Rehab
• ICR Talent Recruiter
• Iowa Office for Persons with Disabilities and Native American Affairs
• Facebook
• Linkedln
• NextDoor
• Twitter
• Craigslist
March 10, 2022
Page 2
Application materials were received from twelve candidates by the original November 12,
deadline. Due to the lower -than -expected number of applicants, the application deadline was
extended approximately three weeks. In total, eighteen applications were received by the
revised deadline of December 31.
With the assistance of the Human Resources Administrator and Deputy City Manager, I
reviewed all the application materials (resume and cover letters) and determined nine
candidates warranted further consideration based on the recruitment profile and the necessary
qualifications. Next, each of the nine candidates received a short questionnaire. During this
phase of the process, one candidate voluntarily withdrew from further consideration and one
failed to respond to the questionnaire. The Human Resources Administrator, Deputy City
Manager and I reviewed the remaining seven candidates and I selected five to advance to the
semifinalist interview phase.
Each of the five semi-finalist candidates participated in virtual interviews. Joining me on the
interview panel was Police Chief Dustin Liston, Deputy City Manager Redmond Jones and
Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Wilson. At the conclusion of the
five interviews, I decided to advance three candidates to the finalist stage of the process. The
names of the candidates were released publicly on Wednesday, February 91.
The finalist stage took place in Iowa City on February 17t' and 18th and included a public meet
and greet session, as well as a second formal interview, meet and greet with Fire Department
employees, and an informal meeting with area public safety executives. City Councilors Janice
Weiner and Laura Bergus joined me on the second formal interview panel. I would like to
specifically thank Coralville Fire Chief Orey Schwitzer, North Liberty Fire Chief Brian Platz and
Johnson County Ambulance Director Fiona Johnson for dedicating a half day to meet each of
the candidates in the public safety executive component of the finalist visit.
The week following the finalist activities, I received feedback from participants in the process,
including Fire Department staff members that took advantage of the two meet and greet
opportunities, After final reflection, I commenced the background and reference check on Mr.
Scott Lyon. A conditional offer of employment, pending approval by both the Civil Service
Commission and City Council was accepted by Mr. Lyon on March 2, 2022.
Recommendation:
The appointment of a City Department Director is arguably the greatest responsibility that a City
Manager holds. I take this task seriously and consider each appointment to be a direct reflection
on my ability to successfully serve this city, which I am so fortunate to call home. After an
extensive search process, it is without any hesitation that I recommend the Civil Service
Commission certify, and the City Council approve, the appointment of Mr. Scott Lyon to the
position of Fire Chief, effective April 4, 2022.
Mr. Lyon currently serves as an Assistant Fire Chief in the community of Urbandale, Iowa. He
has worked for the rapidly growing Urbandale community since 2014 and currently serves as
the Accreditation Manager in addition to overseeing multiple facets of departmental operations.
He has extensive experience working in a regional environment, including fostering automatic
and mutual aid agreements and participating in regional emergency management efforts. Prior
to working in Urbandale, Mr. Lyon served the City of Clive from 1998-2014. From 2005-2014 he
served that community as Deputy Fire Chief and Training Officer,
Mr. Lyon completed paramedic training at Mercy College of Health Sciences, He studied Fire
Sciences at the Des Moines Area Community College and has a Bachelor Degree in Fire
Service Administration from Waldorf College. In 2017, Mr. Lyon received a Master Degree in
Organizational Leadership from Waldorf College. Additionally, Mr. Lyon has pursued numerous
professional certifications and specialized trainings that have helped him develop into a very
well-rounded fire and emergency service professional.
March 10, 2022
Page 3
Mr. Lyon clearly articulated his strong belief that the Fire Department is an extension of the
community. He has successfully demonstrated his commitment to an external facing department
that aims to build trust and understanding through intentional relationship building and an
unwavering commitment to serving all persons with the highest levels of respect and
professionalism. This community relations approach to operations will serve the Iowa City Fire
Department well and aligns with our increasing focus on community risk reduction.
Mr. Lyon is recognized as a collaborator and I expect he will help forge new partnerships with
the community, other . City departments and regional public safety organizations. He
understands the City's .commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and stands ready to
advance efforts in the Fire Department to further this strategic objective of the City Council.
Lastly, it is very evident he cares deeply for his staff, both as professionals and as people. He
will care for their physical and mental health and ensure they are adequately prepared to face
the challenges of the job.
am confident that Mr. Lyon will enjoy the support of the Iowa City Fire Department staff.
Through this process, I have heard many words of encouragement from staff as they welcome a
new chapter in the storied history of the Iowa City Fire Department. They are eager to continue
to grow as a team and embrace the many challenges that lie ahead. They will find My. Lyon to
be an accessible leader that will set high expectations and support each and every person to
achieve the City and Department strategic goals.
I want to thank the staff that has been patient through this recruitment process. Times of
transition can be very difficult and numerous individuals have stepped up to ensure the service
demands from the public continue to be met with a high degree of professionalism and a strong
desire to serve this community. I would like to specifically thank Deputy Chief Eric Nurnberg for
his leadership as Interim Fire Chief.
I look forward to answering any questions you have about the process or my appointment of Mr.
Scott Lyon.