This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski on Monday named Karl Lieb as Fire Chief of Salt Lake City.
The appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the City Council.
Lieb, who has been with the department for 21 years, was appointed interim chief in October, upon the retirement of Chief Brian Dale.
"I'm confident that Chief Lieb's extensive record of service and leadership has prepared him to lead our Fire Department into the future," Biskupski said in a news release. "He is committed to the safety of all who live and work in Salt Lake City, as well as to those who put their lives on the line each day as firefighters."
The mayor said she also has been impressed with Lieb's involvement "in reaching out to youth with progressive career-mentoring programs."
One such program is Camp Athena, the first of its kind in Salt Lake City. The daylong camp is designed to inspire young women and introduce them to fire-service careers. In collaboration with the department and YWCA, Chief Lieb worked to develop the format, curriculum and goals of the fire-education initiative. Likewise, Camp Prometheus is a program for young men from underserved communities, which introduces them to the possibility of a firefighting career.
Martha Ellis, also a 21-year veteran of the Fire Department, filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the department's top brass, including Lieb and Dale.
The claim states that Ellis was demoted from battalion chief to captain after she communicated potential misuse of public funds and or suspected violations of state law and city policies and ordinances. The city has declined to comment on the claims because of the litigation.
Christopher Smart