Surprise’s fire chief announces he is set to retire next year
White led Fire Department for 10 years
Surprise Fire Chief Michael White is retiring after 10 years with the department.
White, 61, spent the first 31 years of his career with the Glendale Fire Department before joining Surprise in 2003. His last day will be April 30.
“If my wife wouldn’t kill me, I’d probably work a little longer,” he said with a laugh. “It’s going to be hard stepping away, but it feels like the right time. Now it’s time for someone else to take the job and I hope they have the same passion I’ve felt for it over the last 10 years.”
White plans to make his family his “job” after leaving the department. He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his two grandchildren.
White helped open five fire stations and invested in new emergency medical technology during a period when the city’s population more than doubled. To keep up, the Fire Department swelled from 60 employees in 2003 to 118 today.
“Technology, growth and the economy presented challenges for the fire service every day of Chief White’s career here,” said City Manager Chris Hillman. “Heseized those challenges and made us better, while keeping a sense of compassion at the heart of what the department does.”
The department was awarded “Premiere EMS Agency” status under White, which means that it met the state’s highest standards of leadership, quality, improvement, and data collection and submission. It is one of 28 agencies in Arizona to receive the designation.
White said he hopes his replacement will continue some of his unfinished business. White has wanted to get the department internationally accredited for years but the city has not had the money nor the personnel to make it happen. White said he also wants to see the city hire more firefighters and civilian staffers for the department.
Recruitment for a new chief is under way. A chart of salary ranges for Surprise positions on the city’s website shows the salary range for fire chief is $98,480 to $167,414. However, a recruitment brochure for the position says $132,947 is the most the city is willing to pay. White earns $138,265 a year.
The city does not list how many years of experience the new chief should have, but the recruiting brochure asks that applicants have a well-rounded background that includes fire service and emergency management. The new chief will be expected to take the department to a “new level of best-inclass service excellence,” according to the brochure. Applicants will have until Jan.17 to submit their resumes.
Hillman said that he hopes to have a new chief hired before White’s departure.