The man chosen to take over as Baltimore's new fire chief talked frankly yesterday about easing racial tensions and his desire to improve safety and professionalism as the city's department recovers from the deaths of two firefighters and a cheating scandal.
James Sterling Clack, a 22-year veteran of the Minneapolis Fire Department, still must be confirmed by the City Council. He would take the helm of a fire department that is four times larger and significantly more complex than the one he has led for the past two years.
"I'm a diplomat," he said, "and I believe in relationships. Any time there is a crisis, those skills are critical in getting though those crises. ... I can't manage a 1,700-member fire department myself. I can bring a lot of ideas to the table."
While he did not detail specific plans for Baltimore, he said he has read about racial tensions at the department and reviewed the investigations into two recent firefighter deaths, including the scathing 121-page report that concluded that 50 national safety standards were ignored during a live burn training fire that killed a cadet.
Mayor Sheila Dixon said she picked Clack from among 40 applicants because she was impressed by how he handled the rescue operation after the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which killed 13 people and sent more than 180 plummeting into the Mississippi River.
The mayor said that as an outsider, Clack might be able to change what has become a bitter workplace.
"I think a fresh mind sometimes creates a different environment within an organization," she said. "There's a culture in our agencies that needs [a] little fire under its feet to get folks moving a little differently in providing an effective and efficient service."
The new chief is expected to start in April and will take over from acting Chief Gregory Ward, who has led the department since William J. Goodwin Jr. resigned in November. If confirmed, Clack would be the first outsider to lead the city Fire Department, according to Kevin Cartwright, a department spokesman.
Clack said he has no plans to bring staff with him from Minneapolis. "I think this department has plenty of talent internally," he said.
Rocco Forte, the Minneapolis director of emergency planning and retired fire chief who promoted Clack in the past, said the chief would evaluate what the Baltimore Fire Department needs with a methodical eye. He said Clack had been good at identifying outside sources of funding to help fill needs of the Minneapolis Fire Department.
