DATE: Wednesday, August 20, 1997            TAG: 9708200415

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   65 lines

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Fire Chief Harry E. Diezel, who presided over his department's transformation from a collection of volunteer squads to a largely professional firefighting force, will retire in September from the job he's held 23 years.

Diezel, 57, made the announcement to City Manager James K. Spore on Friday. The search for a replacement is under way. Most Fire Department officers believe the new chief will come from another agency, as Diezel did more than two decades ago.

``It's time for a new face,'' Diezel said.

Diezel took over the Fire Department's top job on May 1, 1974, when the department was just 2 years old. Before that, he was an administrative aide to the Fairfax County fire chief. He was a paid firefighter for eight of his 15 years in Fairfax.

His early background as a volunteer was one of the main reasons he got the job here. When Diezel was hired, the resort city's plan was to combine the volunteer and paid firefighters and rescue workers and standardize their training.

As the both the city and Fire Department's budget grew, Diezel hired many of the volunteers to work full-time. That eventually diluted the volunteer force and led to a department that relied more on paid firefighters. Now, there are about 350 paid members of the Fire Department and between 150 and 200 volunteers.

In the mid-1970s, only the Oceanfront station was staffed with paid firefighters. Twelve volunteer fire departments, each with its own chief, served the rest of the city.

Frequently, there were tensions between the professional and volunteer staffs. It was Diezel's job to smooth them.

``It was necessary to strike a balance for both groups,'' he said. ``At times, it looked like you were serving one more than the other, and that was difficult professionally and politically. It was that balancing of two similar, yet dissimilar, interests that was difficult.''

When Diezel accepted the Virginia Beach offer, the advertised salary for the chief's job was between $14,400 and $18,480. Now, Diezel earns more than $96,000.

When he moved here with his wife, Ginny, their son, Matthew, was 2. The couple is still married, and their 26-year-old son is working in Hollywood as a film editor.

The first fully equipped fire truck Diezel bought for the city cost $50,000. Now, a new fire truck goes for $300,000.

``The cost of doing business has really gone up,'' he said.

Soon, he said, firefighters will rely on computers and thermal imaging as much as they do on hoses and water.

But the next revolution will happen without Diezel.

``I've got some chores to do at home, obviously,'' he said. ``Then I'll relax, take stock, and go out and get active in something. I am the kind of person who has to stay active.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

PHILIP HOLMAN

Harry E. Diezel, who will retire Sept. 30 as Virginia Beach's fire

chief, stands at the spot where he was sworn in as chief on May 1,

1974.

Graphic

Milestones

For complete copy, see microfilm KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT PROFILE

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