The new fire and rescue chief hired to lead the Manassas Fire and Rescue system has asked the city to extend his start date until June 6^th, according to Manassas City Manager Lawrence D. Hughes.

Prince William Assistant Fire Chief Brett R. Bowman has been appointed to lead the combination volunteer and career system in the city and was slated to start work on May 2, but according to Hughes, asked to start at a later date.

 Dale McCleese, a retired fire and rescue battalion chief for Prince William County, had been leading the combination volunteer and career system as interim chief after former chief Mike Wood left back in December. McCleese was supposed to stay on as interim chief until Bowman came onboard, but has already resigned the position.

 According to a local blog post on the Manassas Tea Party’s website, McCleese may have been upset over the council’s recent decision to replace a paid battalion chief position with a volunteer. According to the posting, McCleese told council members at an April 27^th meeting that “the volunteers do not meet the criteria to become a battalion Chief" and that the city’s decision to fill the position with a volunteer could “leave the city open to liability suits.”

 As a result, current Assistant Fire and Rescue Chief Wade House has been appointed as acting fire chief until further notice, according to the city manager's office.

The latest shake-up comes after former chief Mike Wood resigned the position after just two years on the job.

Wood said in a previous interview he left the department because the system lacked a "common vision" on accountability, training and an overall strategic plan for the safety and well-being of the residents of Manassas and fire and rescue personnel. Wood did say the decision was a difficult one to make and required a lot of thought and reflection. Wood said he believes he was hired to do an impossible job, one that is bogged down by inner politics that seem to plague combination systems across the country.

 A study on the Manassas Fire and Rescue System, which was released March 22, found the system does not have consistent staffing of its stations and lacks accountability and oversight chiefly because it does not have a unified mission statement or vision.

According to the study, in order to improve the combined system of volunteers and career members, the city should clarify the title of the department “Chief” to ensure he has complete authority over personnel and coordination of services, as well as the sole person who is accountable for the system.

 The study also suggested that the city rehire station captains, dissolve the Fire and Rescue Committee into something different, develop a mission statement and vision and use mixed crews of volunteers and career personnel to ensure all stations are appropriately staffed.

The study says the system needs measurable goals with target deadlines that are realistic, consistent and achievable. The study also suggested the city hire a recruitment and retention coordinator because the system needs a ladder structure to show how career employee can grow within the system so they don’t continue to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

A call to the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company chief regarding training standards for volunteers was not immediately returned.