After seven months without an elected fire chief, progress is being made toward getting a new official into office.

Ames residents will have a chance to meet each of the four candidates throughout the next two weeks. All open forums will be from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Ames City Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Ave.

The four candidates were chosen from a pool of 19 applicants, said City Manager Steve Schainker.

Schainker hopes to get the community’s input during the open forums.

“Although the fire department head selection is really the prerogative of the city manager, I want to get input from the community and the departments the fire chief will be working with,” he said.

Besides the question-and-answer session with the community, each candidate also will meet with different city department heads and fire department employees.

“We need someone who has had a management position before, someone who has made key decisions. But we also want someone who shares the values of the Ames community,” Schainker said.

Another of Schainker’s concerns is that the candidates understand the building codes in Ames since the fire chief also is in charge of conducting building inspections.

Residents who attend the forum will be asked to fill out review sheets on each candidate.

Schainker said he will make his decision in December. The following candidates will visit the community, beginning today:

• Today — Donald L. Cox

Cox, from Neenah, Wis., has had more than 25 years of fire protection experience. He currently is fire chief in Menasha, Wis., where he is responsible for a fire department with two stations, three career personnel and 50 paid, on-call firefighters. He has a master’s degree in science education from ISU and is an Executive Fire Officer for the National Fire Academy.

• Nov. 9 — Daniel J. Gaumont

Gaumont, from Aimsbury, Mass., has had 25 years of fire protection experience. He currently is fire chief in Ipswich, Mass., where he is in charge of administering and managing a 42-person fire department providing fire, rescue and EMS services. He is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy.

• Nov. 10 — Clint E. Petersen

Petersen has been Ames’ acting fire chief since Michael Childs retired in April. He has worked his way up through the Ames fire department, starting as a firefighter. He has had 20 years of fire protection experience. He currently is a student in the MBA program at the National Fire Academy.

• Nov. 16 — H. Michael Drumm

Drumm, from Monee, Ill., has 20 years of fire protection experience. He currently is fire chief for Markham, Ill., where he is in charge of the department, performs strategic planning and serves on the city’s executive team. The city has three stations and 63 staff members. Drumm will receive his master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University in February 2000 and will graduate from the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in 2000.