CEDAR FALLS - Five candidates for the vacant fire chief position will interview in Cedar Falls next week.

The hiring committee has not described the five candidates as finalists, but they are the only candidates currently being called in for personal interviews.

"I think the best word to use at this point is that it's open-ended," said Richard McAlister, city director of administrative services. "These were the five the committee was interested in interviewing."

Mayor Jon Crews, city division heads and council members David Wieland and Susan deBuhr are serving on the committee to hire a new chief. Crews will make the appointment once the process is complete.

McAlister said the city will perform extensive background checks after the interviews are done next week.

Steve Mitchell resigned as Cedar Falls fire chief in August after serving five years with the department. He left for a fire chief job in Owensboro, Ky.

The city advertised nationally for the job. They received 30 applications. The Civil Service Commission eliminated 10 of those from consideration because they did not meet the job requirements. The other 20 were sent surveys.

The commission then scored the surveys and sent 13 names on to the commission.

The only in-house candidate, current interim fire chief Desi Dugan, was deemed by the Civil Service Commission not to meet the qualifications and was eliminated from consideration.

The five candidates interviewing this week are:

David Burns, of Ankeny. Burns served as the Ankeny fire chief from June 2003 to March 2007. He currently works with Marsh Risk Consulting, a multi-national company that consults on emergency operations plans and provides training. Ankeny has a population of 36,000. The fire department has 65 full-time and paid-per-call members with one fire station and another under construction.

Joe Clow, of Fond du Lac, Wis. Clow served as fire chief with the Fond du Lac Fire Department from 2001 until September 2008. Prior to that he had been fire chief in Bedford, N.H., from 1997 to 2001. Fond du Lac has a population of 43,270. The fire department has a staff of 67 split between three stations. The department responded to 5,851 calls for service last year.

David Luers, of Burlington. Luers serves as deputy chief of the Burlington Fire Department, a position he's held since 2000. Burlington has a population of 26,839. The Burlington Fire Department has 49 members in two fire stations. The department responded to 3,500 calls last year.

John-Paul Schilling, of Ankeny. Schilling has served as deputy chief of the Ankeny Fire Department since 1998. He also served as interim fire chief in that department from November 2002 until Burns was hired in June 2003.

Gary Trulson, of Joplin, Mo. Trulson serves as chief of the Joplin Fire Department, a post he has held since April 2004. Trulson served as assistant chief of the Yuma, Ariz., fire department from May 2002 to April 2004. Trulson was a finalist for the Waterloo Fire Chief job last year, but was not selected. Joplin has a population of 49,000. The Joplin Fire Department has 72 personnel in five stations.

Contact Jon Ericson at (319) 291-1461 or jonathan.ericson@wcfcourier.com.