Merced selects new fire chief

Merced city staff announced Monday that Battalion Chief Shawn Henry has been hired as chief of Merced Fire Department.

Henry, 51, has been a firefighter for 31 years and has worked for Merced since 1991.

The new chief has worked his way up through the ranks in Merced, starting as a firefighter in 1991 en route to a promotion to battalion chief in 2009. He has also worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Madera Fire Department.

Henry said he was “excited” to start work as the city’s top firefighter and plans to finish out his career here. “This is home,” he said. “I’ve always lived in the Valley, so I won’t be moving anywhere.”

According to a press release from the city of Merced, Henry has been responsible for a number of new practices in the Fire Department, including developing and implementing the city’s smoke and carbon monoxide alarm programs. He also started a global positioning partnership that helped identify the exact location of fire hydrants in Merced.

Henry played a key role in developing the Community Emergency Response Team and updating the city’s emergency planning, according to the release.

Henry told the Merced Sun-Star he’s working on ideas with other administrators on how to handle brownouts, a policy that attempts to solve low staffing and budget issues by leaving one three-person fire engine company unstaffed for as much as a full shift. Changes in the city budget last year cut back on how often the department must use it, but the practice continues.

“That’s our major challenge now, is the personnel and the budget,” he said. “So we’re going to be discussing those (plans) and see which best fits our city.”

Former Chief Mike McLaughlin left about a year ago for a deputy chief position in the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department. Merced Fire Operations Chief Don Long was serving as acting chief.

Henry has a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Cogswell Polytechnical College. His annual salary will be $118,603, according to the press release.

City Manager John Bramble said the department should benefit from a permanent leader. “It’s now got somebody that we know will be there for several years,” he said.

The city’s focus will move toward filling the open city attorney’s position, he said. City Council and staff have gotten past the initial interviews, he said, which were done in closed-session meetings.

Former City Attorney Greg Diaz left Merced in September; the council hired Cristina Talley of Best, Best & Krieger LLP as interim city attorney.

The contract to cover costs to hire Talley and any assistants for five months is $77,500, according to city records. Money from the general fund reserves will cover $35,350 of the wages.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Merced selects new fire chief."