PIQUA – The City of Piqua is proud to announce Kris Black has been appointed as assistant chief of the Piqua Fire Department.
The City of Piqua Civil Service Commission confirmed the appointment for Kris Black at its meeting on Wednesday, December 11. Piqua City Manager Paul Oberdorfer swore in Assistant Chief Black on February 4.
“Something I push and strive towards every day is job readiness,” said Assistant Chief Kris Black. “We have a job where excuses have to be checked at the door. People depend on us to be physically ready and trained to do our job.”
Assistant Chief Black has 21 years of experience in firefighting and emergency medical services. He began his career with Fletcher Volunteer Fire Department and has been with the City of Piqua for 17 years. He grew up on a farm near Piqua and still resides in the Piqua area with his wife, Becky, and their four children, Wyatt, Colleen, Kael, and Klara.
“As a fellow lifetime resident of the Piqua community and graduate of Piqua City Schools, I’m proud to have Kris advance his career with us at the Piqua Fire Department,” said Chief Lee Adams. “His strong sense of community and his commitment to local youth development help support efforts beyond emergency services and embrace the building of a more resilient and future-proof society.”
The process of choosing a new fire assistant chief is governed by rules and regulations established by the Civil Service Commission and is administered by the human resources director.
“The promotional process for this position requires significant preparation and stamina from the candidates,” City of Piqua Human Resources Director Catherine Bogan said. “And Kris has certainly demonstrated that he is ready to lead the charge in protecting the community.”
The promotional process included both a written test and an assessment center administered by the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association. Candidates were required to achieve a 70 percent on the written test in order to move on to the assessment testing center. Final weighted scores determined the candidates’ placement on the eligibility list for promotion as certified by the Civil Service Commission.
