Interim leader says CSFD in good hands as search for new chief gets underway

Colorado Springs is without a fire chief as wildfire season ramps up.

Former chief Chris Riley retired abruptly at the beginning of the month. He walked away with an $80,000 severance package and had to sign an agreement preventing him from suing the city or saying anything negative about the city or its elected officials.

Interim Chief Ted Collas says Riley may be gone, but firefighters and other fire department employees are still working hard to keep you safe. “If I were to say that the Colorado Springs Fire Department is in good hands, that would sound perhaps a little self-grandizing. But when I say that we’re in very good hands, I mean the 475 employees that fulfill our mission every day, they have a very good handle on our daily operations,” Collas said.

The fire chief position should be posted this week. A committee appointed by the mayor will narrow down the list of candidates and conduct interviews. The mayor and city council will then vote on a finalist. That process is expected to take several months.

Collas says he does plan to apply.