BOISE, Idaho — Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said she got the right man for the job when she selected Mark Niemeyer to be the city’s next fire chief.
Niemeyer is the current Emergency Operations Manager for the City of Meridian and served as the Meridian Fire Chief for more than 10 years.
McLean introduced Niemeyer during a virtual roundtable with reporters Thursday morning.
Niemeyer was picked to lead the Boise Fire Department after a nationwide search had been narrowed down to two candidates, one from Richmond, Calif., and another from Phoenix, Ariz.
McLean said she reached out to Niemeyer and asked him to take the job because he was a better fit for Boise.
“I got to know Mark Niemeyer and he demonstrated his commitment to an ability to deliver on collaborative decision making to build partnerships,” McLean said. “And those are the skills and traits we need in this moment, in our public safety officers, and also that the city and residents expect as well.”
Niemeyer moved with his wife to Ada County 23 years ago and worked for Ada County Paramedics for 10 years before accepting a position with the Meridian Fire Department.
He said the team atmosphere in Boise of “one city, one philosophy” resonated with him.
“I believe strongly that leaders need to have the heart of a teacher, I’ve always believed that,” Niemeyer said. “So, for me mentorship and succession planning are a big priority for me coming to the department, as well as just a mentality of continuous learning and training.”
Niemeyer added that he is focused on ensuring that the department continues to be “an inclusive and safe place to work.”
As the city continues to grapple with rising COVID cases that are putting a strain on local hospitals, leaders are looking for new ways to deal with the problem.
“Our residents expect that all department heads across the city want to have a partnership with the fire chief as we confront really tough issues of financial constraints, the need to protect our residents’ lives, and continue to serve them with fewer dollars,” McLean said, “and of course respond to this crisis unrelated to COVID, and Mark brings all that and more to the table.
The mayor admitted she looked past two important criteria for a new fire chief. One was a residency requirement which would have mandated the new chief live in Boise city limits. Since Niemeyer has lived here locally for many years and knows Boise well, McLean waived that requirement.
A second issue was that Niemeyer did not finish his college degree at a four-year institution.
“All of the experience that Mark brought to the table for me way outweigh those 15 hours of a college degree that were missing,” McLean said.
As for those remaining college credits, Niemeyer said enrolled to take online classes at Eastern Oregon University this fall, but the COVID and recent shoulder surgery put those plans on hold. He says it is important to set a good example to other firefighters and his son, so he does hope to finish up college in the future.
Niemeyer was unanimously confirmed by the Boise City Council at its meeting Tuesday to be the city’s next fire chief. He starts his new job on Nov. 30.
