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GREENSBORO - After an extensive search, the city's next fire chief is expected to be in place sometime in March, city officials say.

There are now eight finalists - narrowed down from a pool of 48 candidates who applied for the job. That figure is expected to be narrowed to two or three in the next couple of weeks, said Denise Turner, assistant city manager.

The candidates applied from across the nation and included some internal candidates, but city officials declined to say how many.

"It has been a competitive and challenging process to narrow down these candidates because of their quality," Turner said.

The city hired Developmental Associates, a Chapel Hill recruiting firm to handle the process, at a cost of $19,900. The process also included a series of focus groups of fire department employees to develop an ideal profile for the next chief.

Two weeks ago, the eight finalists were brought in for an extensive two-day interview and assessment, which included a series of oral and written exams and real-world scenarios to test their reactions.

"The candidate would be told a scenario such as: 'There's a fire in the largest building in downtown Greensboro, and there are 20 people stuck on the top floor. How would you handle it? Step by step,' " Turner said.

The scenarios also included personnel management and coordination with other emergency agencies.

"There was also a media part, where people came in and asked candidates hard questions about why they responded in a certain way," Turner said, "and they were tested on how they responded."

The scenarios included curve balls, such as responding to the media and others if the incident included a loss of life, she said. There also was a written exam quizzing candidates on the challenges they would face on the job and how they would handle them.

Once a finalist is chosen - expected in the next 30 to 60 days - the new chief will hold a meeting or series of meetings to introduce the new chief to the community.

The next chief will replace Johnny Teeters, who retired in May after 44 years with the department, the final eight as chief. Deputy Fire Chief David Spears has served as interim chief since May.

The new chief will take command of more than 430 firefighters at the city's 23 fire stations and other staff members. The department covers more than 140 square miles and responded to more than 28,000 service calls for the 2007-08 fiscal year, according to the department's Web site.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com