Thank you, Fire Chief Rich Brown, for 32 years of service to the people of Colorado Springs. Brown, who managed the department through the Waldo Canyon fire, announced his retirement Tuesday. His resignation takes effect April 30 and Mayor Steve Bach will conduct a nationwide search to find an appropriate replacement.

Tuesday’s announcement initiated an intriguing question from Gazette reader Chico Gonzalez — one that likely reflects sentiment shared by a large number of other Springs residents.

“Why do we always have to go national to find people? If Brown worked up through the ranks, why don’t we begin with others in the department?” Gonzalez asked.

The question, which we published in Wednesday’s print edition, initiated discussion among members of The Gazette’s editorial board. We concluded that national searches are a good minimal standard for filling top positions in local government.

The chair Brown will vacate is, arguably, the most important executive role in city government. Fire, as seen last summer, poses the greatest disaster-oriented threat to lives and property in this wooded, mountainous, windswept, semi-arid community.

We place our lives and our properties largely in the hands of the top executive of the fire department. The position is far too important to serve as a reward for years of local public service.

The position must be filled by the best professional our mayor is able to find and afford, and we’re convinced he knows as much. The right person may well have been working only a few feet away from Brown, in which case he or she will be found in a national search. A nationwide appeal for applicants, after all, will include those who live and work in Colorado Springs.

Obvious locals to consider include Steve Dubay, the fire department’s deputy chief of operations. Dubay joined the department in 1988. He has served as director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and has worked in the city’s fire prevention and training divisions. He’s a paramedic with a master’s degree in public administration.

Another contender may be Tommy Smith, deputy chief of support services. Smith joined the department in 1991 and has served as firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief. He oversees the department’s training division and earned a degree in organizational management and human resources.

Either man, and quite possibly others in the department, may be the best among anyone in the country who wants the job. We know they are good at what they do. But we will not know all of our options until the mayor, and those helping him with a search, find out who else is out there.

We hope whomever Bach hires will bring fresh perspectives. The right person should have a knack for balancing the interests of department personnel with the interests of the people who pay them to serve. The winning applicant should have expertise in urban and wildfire suppression.

Additionally, the new chief should improve the department’s ability to communicate with media at the public. The department belongs to the people and the media’s job is to inform them. Mayor Bach, please include “dynamic communication skills” among top qualifications for the winning applicant. Any leader needs these skills to succeed, especially in public service. Top public servants must be able to manage negative perceptions of their operations while informing the public of positive attributes and events.

The fire department has long done a great job of defending property and lives, for which we are grateful. We respect Chief Brown for his loyal service and, again, commend his efforts to establish wellness clinics at fire stations throughout the city.

Any department, no matter how good, has the opportunity to improve. The people of Colorado Springs deserve the best fire chief they are able to afford, whether that person is found in a faraway city or just down the hall.