Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach-Reed will conclude her tenure on a sour note this spring. The chief, who has been under intense scrutiny since the deadly warehouse fire on Dec. 2, will retire May 5 according to Mayor Libby Schaaf.
Deloach-Reed has been on leave for the past several months, as questions over the fire mounted. Most of her responsibilities have been handled by Deputy Chief Mark Hoffmann.
In a statement Tuesday, Mayor Schaaf said Hoffmann and Deputy Chief Darin White would run the department jointly while the city searches for a permanent replacement.
“Chief Reed has been a role model to many,” Schaaf added. “I thank her for her dedication and service to the department and this community. On behalf of our colleagues and the residents of this city, I congratulate her on a pioneering career and wish her well in her retirement.”
Deloach-Reed was hired in 2012, becoming the first African American head of a major U.S. city’s fire department. She had previously served as assistant chief in San Jose.