Brea

The search is on for a new fire chief, but the winning candidate must meet the somewhat quirky qualifications the community demands, Assistant City Manager Tim O'Donnell said. "Our organization enjoys a very good reputation for having out-of-the-box thinkers," he said. "The new chief will have to be the kind of person interested in the larger world than just the Fire Department. We're nontraditional in the way we view problem-solving."

The application process will be closed in May to replace outgoing Chief Bill Simpkins, who plans to retire Aug. 6. City officials have nearly completed the process of collecting profiles of what various community groups and top-level employees want to see in the new chief. In contrast to many other cities, Brea puts an emphasis on team management, so turf squabbles are kept to a minimum, O'Donnell said.