Saginaw native
Leonardo Garcia will take over as the City of Midland’s new fire chief
effective Monday, December 30.
Garcia began his
career with the Saginaw Fire Department as a fire fighter in 1979 and served as
a lieutenant and training safety officer until accepting his current position
as assistant fire chief in 1999.
Garcia
earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Saginaw Valley State University and his
Associates degree as a Fire Fighting Technician from Delta College.
The PAR Group, a Chicago-based professional recruiting firm, conducted a national search for Midland’s new fire chief. Five candidates participated in a professional assessment center that utilized a panel of city government professionals, fire officials and experts in public safety to evaluate candidates on exercises dealing with leadership, organization and public communication.
City
Manager Karl Tomion said that Leonardo Garcia was unanimously recommended as
the top candidate at the conclusion of the assessment center exercises. This was especially noteworthy given that
Garcia was the only assistant fire chief among the other candidates who were
fire chiefs in other communities.
“I
was greatly impressed by Leonardo Garcia’s ability to professionally analyze
and respond to issues concerning fire safety and response and on maintaining
positive labor-management relations. He
is highly regarded by the City of Saginaw’s fire department staff and union
members and will be a significant asset to the Midland Fire Department,” said
City Manager Karl Tomion.
Former Midland Fire Chief Daniel J. Hargarten
announced his resignation last June and left the position on September 13. David Cole will continue to serve as
Midland’s fire chief until Garcia takes over December 30 at which time Cole
will resume his position as fire training officer for the department.