Charles Hansard, an assistant chief of the Knoxville Fire Department, has been named interim chief until a successor to retiring Chief Ed Cureton is named, Mayor Bill Haslam said today.
Hansard joined the department in 1962, and has been an assistant chief since 1976.
Cureton is retiring effective Aug. 31 after 40 years of service to the city.
Nearly 50 individuals have applied for the job of leading the 300-firefighter department with an annual budget of $25.7 million. Interim Chief Hansard is not among the applicants.
Mayor Haslam on Aug. 6 appointed a citizens advisory committee to assist him in reviewing applications and to provide counsel on the candidates' qualifications with the goal of naming the fire chief in the coming weeks.