Portland’s city manager recommended Wednesday that Assistant Fire Chief David Jackson, who has led the city fire department since October, be approved by the City Council as permanent chief.

Jackson has been the department’s acting chief since Jerome LaMoria resigned on Oct. 20 after leading the department since January 2013.

City Manager Jon Jennings recommended that Jackson’s full appointment be considered at the council’s Feb. 1 meeting.

Jackson has worked for the Portland Fire Department for more than 25 years and has worked in fire service for more than 40 years.

“Chief Jackson’s impressive and long career with the Portland Fire Department, combined with his guidance as Acting Chief, made us realize that we had already found our next leader of the department,” Jennings said in a written statement. “I’m glad that he has accepted, and I look forward to working with him as we look at innovative ways to modernize the department.”

LaMoria informed Jennings on Oct. 6 that he was resigning. In his resignation letter, LaMoria did not provide any reasons for leaving the job.

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“My understanding is his resignation was due to personal reasons,” city spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said at the time. “He did not elaborate in his resignation letter.”

Three days after LaMoria announced his resignation, Jennings announced Jackson would take over on an interim basis.

Jackson started with the city department in July 1990 as a firefighter. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2000, then to captain in 2004, followed by deputy chief in 2010 and assistant chief in June 2014.

“I’m grateful for the selection, and I look forward to continually working hard every day to meet our mission of serving this great community,” Jackson said in a statement included in Jennings’ announcement. “I have always been very proud to be part of this organization, and the outstanding service that our men and women give every day. The real work lies ahead of us as we evaluate what our fire department looks like today, and plan for what it will look like in the future.”

If approved, Jackson’s annual salary as chief will be $112,554.

 


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