The city of Davenport has narrowed its search for a new Fire Chief from 27 applications to three finalists.
Michael Carlsten is a 24-year veteran of the Davenport Fire Department, and for 11 of those years he held the position of "Chief Officer." He is also known as "Fire Santa" during the holidays.
Donald Kaderabek began his career 33 years ago in Niles, Illinois. He's held several positions at different fire departments in the Chicago suburbs, including Division Chief in Riverside and Deputy Chief in Roselle. For the past three years, he's served as the deputy chief of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District.
The third candidate, Vance Swisher, has worked for the Rochester, Minnesota Fire Department for almost 20 years, and is currently the deputy chief. Swisher has also worked in Cedar Rapids.
The three fire chief finalists will be interviewed on Monday by city officials and staff, fire department leaders and staff, and community leaders, and at 6 pm they'll be available to talk with local residents. That'll be held at the Central Fire Station in Davenport.