REGINALD JOHNSON was announced as the first permanent black fire chief of the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department (CFD). Originally from Fairfax County, Virginia, Johnson succeeds former chief Jon Hannan, who recently retired amid a whistleblower lawsuit against the CFD. Since Hannan’s retirement, Pete Key, also African-American, had been in the position on an interim basis. Johnson was previously the assistant chief at Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue (FCFR), where he oversaw more than 1,300 uniformed officers. He has been in a leadership roles with the FCFR for six years.
TOM SOLBERG was named the new chief of the Casper (WY) Fire-EMS Department (CFED). Solberg, originally from Pleasant Hill, Iowa, started as a paramedic firefighter at age 19 in Lee Summit, Missouri, and worked his way up through the ranks, becoming chief there for nine years. He eventually took an early retirement after 30 years. He then re-entered the fire service in the Phoenix, Arizona, area for three years, and taught fire training at Montana State University before being named chief of CFED.
ALLEN REYNE was named the new chief of the Springfield (IL) Fire Department (SFD). Reyne, 47, a fire captain since 2009, replaces Barry Helmerichs, who retired on April 6. Reyne, a Springfield resident, was the firefighters’ union president for two years starting in 2012; he has also served as its secretary. He is certified to be a fire investigator at the state and international level as well as a paramedic. He also has certifications in hazardous waste operations, fire service management, and fire service instruction. Before joining the SFD in 1999, he was a volunteer firefighter for the Godfrey (IL) Fire Protection District and a paramedic in St. Louis County and Springfield.
