OR Fire Department Hires New Chief

Kenneth McCarthy will be the new fire chief for the city of Corvallis.

McCarthy, currently the deputy chief in San Jose, California, will take over for Roy Emery on June 17. Emery, a former volunteer firefighter who rose through the ranks to become chief in 2006, officially retired July 1, 2018, but he has continued to serve during the recruitment.

McCarthy's appointment was announced Thursday.

The city brought in a total of four candidates to a pair of meet-and-greet sessions before selecting McCarthy, whose duties in San Jose include supervising 700 employees and 32 fire stations. There are five stations and approximately 70 firefighters in the Corvallis Fire Department.

“It’s been a pleasure to get to know Chief McCarthy during this recruitment process,” said City Manager Mark Shepard, who will supervise the new chief. “I’m excited to have Ken on board, and I’m grateful to Chief Emery for his many years of dedication and service to the Corvallis community.”

Shepard said that McCarthy’s experience makes him a “good fit with the community and our staff. He’s someone who can mentor our staff. We have a lot of good people, but they don’t have that depth of experience. They need a mentor to help guide them in the right direction.”

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