NOFD Supt. Charles Parent to retire this summer

On Thursday, the City of New Orleans announced that New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent Charles Parent is retiring this summer. Parent, who has been on medical leave, will remain Superintendent at this time and will serve until a replacement is chosen.

“I want to thank Chief Parent for his extraordinary service and continued dedication to the New Orleans Fire Department and to the people of this community,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “He led the department through some tough times following Hurricane Katrina and continues to build it back stronger.”

Parent was appointed as the 10th NOFD superintendent in 2003. He joined the NOFD in 1982, and advanced through the ranks of the department. He became a Fire Captain in 1990, District Chief in 1995 and acting Deputy Chief in 2002.

“I would like to thank Mayor Landrieu and the citizens of New Orleans for allowing me the opportunity to continue to serve this great city,” said Supt. Parent said Thursday. “It has been an honor and privilege to work with some of the finest young men and women in the fire service. I leave with a heavy heart, but I know the city is in good hands. The opportunity to continue the progressive legacy of my predecessors, Chiefs McDaniels and McCrossen is an honor I could not have imagined when I began my career 30 years ago. The citizens of New Orleans can rest assured that I am leaving the New Orleans Fire Department with the best prepared, best educated and best-trained fire service professionals in the country..”

Throughout his career, Chief Parent has earned numerous awards including, the 2009 “Louisiana Fire Chief of the Year” from the State of Louisiana, “Award of Distinction” for 2006 from the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the 2006 “Metro Chief of the Year” from the Black Chief Officers Committee (BCOC) Las Vegas, the “Care?taker of Hurricane Katrina/Rita evacuees of New Orleans, LA.”, “Drum Major for Justice” 2006, from the SCLC Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now, (W.O.M.E.N. Inc.), Atlanta, Ga.

The City posted the job opening on the International Association of Fire Chiefs website earlier in the week. Minimum qualifications include:
• Ten years progressively responsible experience in municipal or county fire department;
• At least five years of increasingly responsible supervisory, management and/or command experience (Captain level or higher) with responsibility for personnel and budget management in a municipal or county fire department; and
• A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with a major or major course work in fire science, fire administration, public administration or a related field; or equivalent work experience.

The application deadline is May 24, 2013.

This article originally published in the April 29, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.