San Francisco's Fire Chief Contemplating Top Firefighter Job In London
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, the longest serving fire chief in the U.S., is contemplating applying for the same position in London.
In an interview with ABC Channel 7 News, Hayes-White told the TV station that the city of London recently encouraged her to apply and she is "contemplating it."
San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge tells the San Francisco Chronicle that Hayes-White got the call from London on April 13.
Although Hayes-White did not respond to the Chronicle's request for comment, she told Channel 7 she was "surprised and intrigued" by the London invite.
Hayes-White has weathered her fair share of controversy since taking over the department in 2004. In September, the city's firefighter unions called for her resignation, saying they had lost confidence in her. She has also faced scandals regarding firefighters drinking on duty and the death of a young woman run over by a fire rig after the Asiana Airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport in 2013.