Mayor Horrigan Appoints Akron Fire Chief Clarence Tucker as New Deputy Mayor for Public Safety
Search for new Fire Chief to begin this week
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of City of Akron Press Office
Published: 09-26-2022
Akron, Ohio, Sept. 26, 2022 — Today, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced that Chief Clarence Tucker of the Akron Fire Department will become the next Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. Chief Tucker will replace Charles Brown who announced his retirement last month after 36 years of dedicated public service.
Clarence Tucker was born in Beckley, West Virginia and moved to Garfield Heights, Ohio in his teens. He came to Akron in the fall of 1980 where he attended the University of Akron on a Track and Field Scholarship. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Malone College and became a City of Akron firefighter/medic in 1988. Tucker was promoted to lieutenant in 2000, captain in 2005, district chief in 2015 and has been the 19th Fire Chief of AFD since 2016.
“As I began to think about who our next Deputy Mayor for Public Safety would be and the characteristics I knew we needed in this role, Chief Tucker immediately came to mind,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “Clarence leads by example with integrity and honesty and always with a community-minded approach. He has been an outstanding public servant in the city of Akron for 34 years and I can’t imagine a better person than him for this role in this present moment.”
“I want to thank Mayor Horrigan for this great honor,” said Clarence Tucker. “Public service to the city of Akron has been my calling and my passion, and I come to this position humbly and ready to work with our community as well as our public safety forces to help make Akron a safer, better place for all our residents.”
As Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Tucker will be a liaison facilitating important dialogue between Akron’s Public Safety Forces, the Mayor’s Office and Cabinet, and the community. He will be responsible for making recommendations to enhance and improve policies and procedures of Akron's police and fire forces. He will work with APD and AFD on initiatives to combat violence and crime in Akron, build community trust with public safety forces, and serve as an advisor to Mayor Horrigan on safety issues. He will help support recruitment efforts for both APD and AFD with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in Akron’s ranks. Tucker will also ensure a smooth transition with Akron’s next Fire Chief.
In the coming days, the city will list a job posting for the Fire Chief position. The opening will be available to both internal and external candidates. Chief Tucker will stay on in his current position while a search is conducted and will complete his transition to Deputy Mayor upon his replacement’s hiring. The city aims to have a new Fire Chief in place by December.
For further information, contact:
Stephanie Marsh
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: [email protected]
