Roger Kerr will serve as the next Chief of the Bloomington Fire Department, Mayor Kerry Thomson announced in a news release Wednesday.
Kerr has served as interim chief since Thomson took office Jan. 1. According to the release, he has served with the fire department since 1988 and previously served as chief from 2008-14.
“Without a doubt, Roger Kerr is the best person to lead the Bloomington Fire Department forward,” Thomson said in the release. “He has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues. He brings the experience of a career firefighter who has worked his way up the ranks. And, he has the skills and heart of a leader and a public servant.”
In December, Jason Moore resigned from his position as the Bloomington Fire Department Chief that he had held since 2016, three days after Thomson reappointed him as chief. Moore alluded to non-specific challenges within the fire department as reason for resigning in a letter he wrote.
A representative for the Bloomington Metropolitan Firefighters Union told Fox59 in March 2023 the department has lost a record number of employees looking for higher-paying departments. Bloomington City Council passed an ordinance in October increasing retention pay for firefighters and captains.
Kerr’s last day as a career firefighter will be March 11, and he will become the fire chief as a civilian March 12, according to the release.
