The City of Redmond is currently conducting the initial screening of 80 nationwide applicants for the new fire chief, who could be in place by the start of next year, according to Redmond Mayor John Marchione.

Tim Fuller, who has served as Redmond’s fire chief since 2005 and most recently as the interim police chief, announced he will retire, but he did say he will stick around through the recruitment and transition process for his replacement.

Marchione said telephone interviews of new fire chief candidates will be done next month, after which the list of applicants will be narrowed down to 3-5 candidates. The finalists will come to Redmond the week of Oct. 10 for an interview process by city and community panels. The plan is to announce the new chief in November and have the new fire chief start in January of 2011, Marchione said.

Marchione said he is looking for a new fire chief who has both management and urban planning experience.

“I’m looking for someone who is a leader, who can lead the department as Redmond becomes a complex city,” he said. “I want a fire chief who can plan for the future. We have to keep our fire and medic services responsive and affordable.”

Just like the search for Redmond’s recently hired police chief, Ron Gibson, who came from Colorado, the search for the new fire chief is a national search, conducted by the city Human Resources Department, rather than an outside consulting firm.

Marchione said the in-house selection process is more cost-effective and allows the city to take more ownership of its selection. Marchione commended Lori Brown, the city’s Human Resources Programs Manager, and the rest of the human resources staff for their efforts during the recruitment process.

“Just thumbing through the applicants, we have some good matches,” Marchione said.

Marchione also had good words for Fuller, who also served as the interim police chief for about a year as the city worked to hire Gibson, who replaced longtime former police chief Steve Harris.

“Tim Fuller is thorough, dedicated public servant,” Marchione said. “He has given great service to the Redmond community. He will definitely be missed.”