CKNW Radio reports that Kim Howell was hired as deputy fire chief in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Howell has never has been a firefighter, but does have 25 years of management experience in municipalities.

In her previous job as deputy chief administrator in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Howell led the emergency services department with over 100 full-time firefighters, paramedics, and safety code officers. Prior to that, Howell was a parks and recreation superintendent.

Richmond fire rescue is trying to rebuild its public image after controversy over the sex harassment of female firefighters, CKNW reports.

Cover in at Virginia Beach Chief
Virginia Beach, Va., searched for four months before hiring Steve Cover as its new fire chief. Cover has served as the interim chief since June 2007, when former chief Gregory Cade was appointed to head the U.S. Fire Administration.

Cover will oversee the department's 500 employees and $40 million budget and coordinate disaster planning, response and recovery efforts.

Cover's experience, leadership ability and technical expertise coordinating emergency resources made him the top candidate, said Charlie Meyer, the city's chief operating officer.

Cover joined the Virginia Beach Fire Department in 1980. Since then, Cover was a command staff member of the FEMA Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2. The city is the sponsoring agency for the group, which includes members from local departments. As task force leader, he led the force's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon. He also responded with the task force in 1995, when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed.