City Manager Ott names first female Fire Chief
City Manager Ott names first female Fire Chief
Written by Staff Friday, 14 November 2008
City Manager Marc Ott announced Nov. 13, that he would recommend Little Rock, Ark., Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr to become the first female fire chief of the Austin Fire Department.
The historic recommendation will go to the Austin City Council for ratification Nov. 20. If approved, Kerr will begin Feb. 2.
"After a national search and extensive local feedback, I am confident that Chief Kerr fits Austin and will do an outstanding job of elevating one of the best fire departments in the country to even higher levels," City Manager Marc Ott said. "Beyond her technical skills, Chief Kerr has impressed everyone as a leader with the likeability factor that translates into someone who will be both involved in and embraced by the community.
"She understands the issues facing Austin from the accelerated growth of our urban core to diversity," Ott said. "I welcome her to Austin and welcome her to my leadership team."
Kerr, a product of a firefighting family, has served as Little Rock Fire Chief since January 2004. Before that, she rose through the ranks of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Fire Rescue, serving in every operational rank from firefighter/emergency medical technician to battalion and division chief.
In her 20 years in Fort Lauderdale she oversaw divisions ranging from emergency medical services to fire prevention; financial services to emergency management. She left that department as Deputy Chief.
In Little Rock, she has emphasized firefighter safety and firefighter well-being as priorities. She has served on various professional boards including chairperson of the Human Relations Committee of the International Fire Chiefs Association that has promoted diversity and inclusion in the fire profession.
Her civic involvement includes being a board member of the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas and Just Communities for Greater Arkansas. She is a former teacher and coach with a master's in Public Administration from Florida International University.
She is also a graduate of Harvard University's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program as well as its National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. She has completed the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program.
After the national search was narrowed to four, City Manager Ott hosted a community meet-and-greet and stakeholder meetings to allow the Austin community additional input before he made his final decision.
Kerr will replace Acting Fire Chief Jim Evans, who did not apply for the job. Evans will continue an Assistant Chief. The Austin Fire Department began as a volunteer force in 1857. In 1916, it became a paid department. Today, it has more than 1,000 firefighters.
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