Six finalists advance in Mesa fire-chief search

A City of Mesa News announcement dated Oct. 26, listed by OpenArizona, says six finalists will interview before the city selects its next fire and medical chief.

No appointment was announced. The city’s administration page identifies Mary Cameli as fire chief, and its recruitment notice says the city manager appoints the chief. The OpenArizona listing gives no interview date or appointment timetable.

Mesa Fire and Medical Department operates 22 stations across 138 square miles and serves more than 500,000 residents, the recruitment notice says. Dividing that population figure by 22 yields a citywide average of more than 22,700 residents per station. That is only an arithmetic average: it does not mean each station serves the same population or area, or has the same staffing or call volume. The notice describes about 800 full-time-equivalent positions and an approximately $180 million budget.