City Manager Steve Pinkerton announced Tuesday he has appointed Davis Police Chief Landy Black to temporarily oversee the city’s Fire Department following the departure of Interim Fire Chief Scott Kenley.
Kenley came out of retirement last May to serve as interim chief while the city conducted a search for a permanent fire chief. He has now reached the maximum allowable hours the state will permit him to work for the city, Pinkerton said.
Kenley’s work in Davis included the completion of a lengthy audit of the Fire Department, one of the primary recommendations of which included the suspension of the fire chief search in order to pursue a shared-management agreement with the UC Davis Fire Department. That process is expected to take up to six months.
During that time, Black will have overall responsibility for both the police and fire departments, while the current fire division chiefs will provide day-to-day management of fire operations, Pinkerton said. Assistant Police Chief Steve Pierce will oversee the Fire Department’s administrative operations.
“There will be no noticeable change to fire services provided to the community,” Pinkerton said in a news release.