Bend fire chief search back to Square 1

The city of Bend said Wednesday it will reopen its recruitment for the fire chief position, having decided not to choose any of the four finalists for the job.

The city began its search in January, doing it in-house rather than hire a consultant, and received more than 80 applications.

Four finalists were brought to Bend for interviews earlier this month, “but the process did not produce a successful outcome,” the announcement said.

The new search is expected to begin in June.

Former Bend Fire Chief Larry Langston will serve as interim chief, effective next Monday.

The city is seeking to replace Larry Huhn, who is retiring after 30 years of service to the community.

Tune into NewsChannel 21 tonight for Joe Burns’ talk with Huhn about his time with the fire department and as chief.