DENVER — The man who has led the Denver Fire Department (DFD) for a decade turned in his resignation late Monday afternoon, according to an announcement from the City of Denver.
Eric Tade came to the decision "after deep reflection on the potential benefits to the department of a change in leadership," according to the announcement.
Tade's resignation letter cites the "nature" surrounding a 2019 Denver Firefighters event and Tade's promise that the events that night would "not occur again."
"Strategies were implemented and assurances were made to prevent these actions from being repeated," Tade wrote in the letter. "Unfortunately, this year's event did not prove to live up to those expectations or mine. New strategies and a fresh perspective are beneficial to foster continued improvement."
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Denver as their fire chief, and I want to thank them, the department and the mayor for this opportunity to lead one of the premier fire departments in the country,” Tade said in a statement.
He will leave his current position on March 16 but will be retained within the department at the rank of assistant chief. It's unknown who will take over his role.
“Chief Tade is dedicated to this department, and his decision that new leadership was needed reflects his devotion to the men and women who serve our residents in the [DFD],” Hancock said. “When the chief told me it was time for a new set of eyes, as difficult of a decision as that was, I knew he meant it, and I let him know that I appreciated his courage and wisdom in recognizing that it was time for a change.”
Tade called it "the right time to step back and bring in new leadership to implement new strategies and a fresh perspective to foster continued improvement."
"That’s what the men and women of this department deserve, and I remain committed to this department and the people we serve every day," Tade said.
Tade's resignation letter also highlighted the achievements of DFD under his leadership, such as wellness program initiatives, response time reduction, opening a new 911 dispatch center and more.
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