A new fire chief will be named by Mayor Chris Beutler at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The initial field of 18 applicants was narrowed to five in late July, and they were interviewed earlier this month.

The pool was recently narrowed to three:

* Robert Brown, chief of the Stafford County Fire and Rescue in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

* Niles Ford, deputy fire chief for the Fulton County, Ga., Fire Department in the Atlanta metro area.

* Mark Rohlfing, assistant fire chief for the Omaha Fire Department.

The selection committee forwarded the names of Brown and Ford but Beutler added Rohlfing, because he was a finalist for the job when Coleen Seng was mayor.

She ultimately decided not to name a chief and instead wait until a new mayor was elected.

City Personnel Director Don Taute said Beutler interviewed the final three last week.

Dave Engler, head of the local firefighters’ union, was on the selection committee and was informed of Beutler’s final choice Thursday.

“I look forward to the announcement tomorrow and I’m excited,” he said. “All the candidates are excellent candidates. I’d be happy with any of them.”

The job is open because former Chief Mike Spadt was asked in July 2006 by Seng to resign in connection with a troubled $2 million firetruck purchase.

The chief’s job was advertised with a maximum annual salary of about $125,900. The fire chief is responsible for a total budget of about $24 million and nearly 300 employees.

Beutler’s selection committee is comprised of former state senator and former state fire marshal Wally Barnett, former Grant Fire Chief Rod Hutt, HR Connex President Mark Koller, former building and safety director and Lincoln firefighter Jerry McGinn, former Foxboro, Mass., Fire Chief Hobie Boswell and Engler.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.