Mayor Faith to recommend Daly as interim fire chief

St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith is expected to name Deputy Chief Rick Daly, to serve as the city’s interim fire chief.  If approved by the City Council, he would replace Chief Ernie Rhodes who resigned last week effective Sept. 30, to take a position as the new fire chief of the West County EMS and Fire Protection District.

Daly has been a member of the city staff for 31 years.  If approved, Daly will be sworn in as interim chief at an upcoming City Council meeting.

Daly has served in the capacity of fire safety for 37 years.  Prior to joining the St. Charles team, he held the position of fire chief for the city of Kirkwood.  During his tenure in St. Charles, he has held the positions of firefighter, firefighter/paramedic, captain, assistant chief and deputy chief.  From 1996 to present, Daly has been responsible for the department’s Operations Division.

“We are fortunate here in the city of St. Charles to have someone of Rick’s background and experience already on board,” Faith said. “The caliber of his professional expertise makes him the perfect choice to serve in the capacity of interim chief.  We could not be happier that he’s accepted this new assignment without hesitation.”

Daly holds an associate of science degree in Fire Protection Technology, a bachelor of arts in Fire Administration, and a masters of science degree in Occupational Safety and Health.  He also serves on  the National Fire Protection Association’s Hazardous Materials, Protective Clothing and Equipment Technical Committee.  In addition, Daly is a certified Hazardous Material Manager from the Institute o fHazardous Material Managers, and is also a Certified Chief Fire Officer.

According to Michael Spurgeon, director of administration, the city reviewed several well- qualified candidates for the interim position both internally and externally before making the decision to bring Daly’s name forward.

“St. Charles is fortunate to have a top-notch fire department with an excellent reputation of protecting and serving the people who live, work, and visit our community.  I am looking forward to having Rick at the helm of our fire protection team,” Spurgeon said.