The Sacramento (Calif.) Fire Department promoted Deputy Chief Ray Jones to fire chief, effective Jan. 5, 2008. He will continue to work closely with current Fire Chief Forrest Adams.… John Paul Jones, a 20-year fire department veteran, was named the new chief of the Kansas City (Kan.) Fire Department. The appointment followed a two-month national search that brought in more than 30 candidates. He replaces former Fire Chief Tom DeKeyser, who retired in June.… Brian McKinney was named the new assistant director of public safety for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. He will serve as chief of fire services in that capacity.… Joe Crowe was named Athens-Fancy (Ill.) Prairie Fire District chief, where he previously had served as assistant chief.… David Speer, chief of the Central City (Ark.) Volunteer Fire Department resigned over ongoing conflict with the mayor and city council. Speer was appointed chief in May 2006.… Commack Long Island, N.Y. Chief Salvatore Formica pulled a 78-year-old woman from a house fire. Former Chief Robert Jinks was first on the scene; he spotted the woman and tried but could not rescue her without his gear.… Tinley Park (Ill.) Fire Marshal Robert T. Bettenhausen has been awarded the National Volunteer Fire Council's 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors those individuals who have achieved outstanding performance in the fire service and the community.… Garry Briese was appointed to the board of directors of the newly formed International Fire Service Research Center and Policy Institute. The institute was established by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, of which Briese is a former executive director.… At the annual general meeting for the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association, Chief Fred Kennedy of Blackville, New Brunswick, was elected national president for a second term.… Newport (R.I.) Chief Edward “Ned” W. McCarthy Jr. will retire this month. The 51-year-old McCarthy has spent 28 years as a city firefighter.… Chief Leonard Bailey died from an apparent heart attack at the scene of an early morning fire on Sept. 12. Bailey was chief of the Elizabeth (Pa.) Volunteer Fire Company. He was 56 years old.… Former Ward LaFrance President Richard Gergel died at age 73. One of his many accomplishments was selling the first lime-green fire truck.