Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said he will recommend a new fire chief on Oct. 3.

His comments came at Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen after formally announcing that Fire Chief Craig Danczyk is retiring effective Sept. 1. Flaggs said he expects to name an interim chief Sept. 1.

The mayor said he has received three text messages from individuals recommending a replacement for Danczyk but he plans to wait and get input from other sources before making a decision.

“I want to take a 30-day grace period to look at recommendations,” he said. “It’s only fair to the employees.” He said he is willing to talk to firefighters and get their thoughts on the next chief.

Flaggs commended Danczyk on his tenure as chief.

“He has done a superb job for us; he’s gone beyond the expectations of the city,” Flaggs said. “He will emphatically leave the fire department better than he found it. Through his leadership he was able to get us a new (fire insurance) rating, he was able to do a lot of odd things and just recently negotiated a new (ambulance) contract with the Warren County Board of Supervisors. He’s provided great leadership; we thank you for your service.”