Reginald Freeman, the city of Portland’s preferred choice for fire chief, has retracted his acceptance of a job offer after initially agreeing to it.
Freeman, who previously served as the fire chief in Oakland, California, signed a contract for the position with a salary of $247,000 annually on June 17, just the day the city extended the offer.
According to Alison Perkins, a Portland spokesperson, Freeman’s commitment seemed firm at first. However, just days later, he posted a reflective message on social media, leaving many to speculate about his intentions.
On June 20, he shared a photo of himself on Instagram wearing a Portland firefighters union T-shirt and holding a cigar, accompanied by a caption that highlighted the importance of reflection and gratitude.
Despite the public enthusiasm, Freeman made a sudden decision to decline the position. On June 25, he communicated with city officials to withdraw from consideration for the role, as confirmed by Perkins, who did not elaborate further on the reasons for his change of heart.
Freeman’s career spans nearly 25 years in fire and emergency services, covering multiple states and both public and private sectors.
His resume includes a tenure as a leader for Lockheed Martin, where he oversaw fire safety, followed by five years as the fire chief in Hartford, Connecticut.
In 2021, he took the reins as Oakland’s fire chief, but departed from that position in 2023 after two years, transitioning to a new role as chief risk officer at a Connecticut-based insurance company.
Since November, Freeman has been working in Saudi Arabia as the public safety executive director for Neom, a high-tech megacity in development.
Freeman was one of two finalists for the Portland Fire Bureau position following the retirement of Chief Ryan Gillespie earlier this year.
The other finalist, Lauren Johnson, is an assistant fire chief from Dallas, Texas, who has been with the department since 1999, rising through the ranks to fulfill key leadership roles.
Both candidates traveled to Portland to meet with key stakeholders, including Mayor Keith Wilson and local firefighters, in anticipation of potential new leadership.
Just one day after Freeman declined the fire chief position, Bob Cozzie, the deputy city administrator for public safety, informed staff that the primary choice had withdrawn, and indicated that discussions were underway with another candidate to fill the role.
Cozzie expressed support for the prospective candidate, signaling that the search for a new fire chief is still a priority for the city following this unexpected development.
The city remains focused on finding strong leadership to head its 780-member Fire Bureau as it moves forward in its search.
image source from：oregonlive
