NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell will retire at the end of this week, according to the city.
Most notably over the past year, McConnell became the very public face of the city and NOFD’s response to the Hard Rock construction collapse, which killed three workers.
"Superintendent Tim McConnell has served the NOFD honorably for 36 years, and his dedication and drive have made New Orleans a safer place to live," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell in a statement released Wednesday. "Most recently his leadership was critical during our response to the Hard Rock collapse. As our Incident Commander on the scene, he helped to bring the precarious cranes down in those early weeks, and later presided over the removal of the remaining victims with dignity and respect."
As leader of the NOFD’s response to the disaster, recovery and demolition effort, McConnell was a constant presence at the collapse site and in news conferences updating the public on developments. It took crews nearly 10 months to retrieve the bodies of two of the victims and the process of destroying the remaining building is ongoing.
During his tenure as superintendent, New Orleans firefighters also responded to several major fires, including the 7-alarm “Rex Mansion” fire on St. Charles Ave. in 2019. Firefighters also battled two six-alarm fires: one at a Chartres St. hotel this past June and the other in a row of Canal Street businesses in 2016. Fortunately, no one was hurt in any of those fires.
McConnell and members of the NOFD were also heavily involved in the planning and removal of four city monuments to Confederate figures during Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration.
Just like his predecessors, McConnell was also a constant presence at press briefings during hurricanes and in advance of major public events.
McConnell was named the city’s 11th fire superintendent in 2013 by Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He replaced Supt. Charles Parent, who retired.
A native New Orleanian, McConnell joined the department in 1984, working his way through the ranks to become chief of the Suppression and Logistics divisions before being promoted to second-in-command in 2009.
When selecting him after a two-month national search, Landrieu praised McConnell for leading the restoration of 20 of the 23 firehouses damaged by floodwaters after Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures.
"He has been a workhorse," Landrieu said at the time. "He is a firefighter's firefighter."
At the time, McConnell promised “permanent, systemic, positive changes” for an agency that has repeatedly faced staffing and budget challenges. McConnell’s response to those challenges frequently put him at odds with the firefighters’ union. Most recently, both sides have sparred over furloughs for firefighters and all other city workers, which the Cantrell administration says are necessary because of the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this year, a dispute with the city over NOFD staffing prompted some of the city’s 480 or so firefighters to boycott volunteer overtime and nearly a third of all firefighters to call in sick over one weekend. McConnell called the move “extortion” and said it put public safety at risk.
At the time, McConnell agreed that NOFD manpower is lower than ideal, noting that the department is currently down 60 firefighters from its authorized strength.
He said at the time that there are two recruiting classes this year that should help boost numbers.
In her statement Wednesday afternoon, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said McConnell's "dedication and drive" have made the city a safer place to live.
"For the past seven years as Chief, he has guided the New Orleans Fire Department through a historic period of transformation, focusing on fire prevention on the front-end and ensuring his firefighters are given the pay and benefits they deserve," she said. "He has been a vital asset to my public safety leadership team, and a good friend."
Cantrell's office said the city will honor McConnell with a retirement ceremony this Friday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., when the outgoing superintendent will take his final walk as NOFD Chief.
