GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids has announced the two finalists to be the city’s next fire chief.

Brad Brown is the deputy chief of support services for the Grand Rapids Fire Department. He has been a firefighter for 27 years, 20 of those in Grand Rapids. In his current role, he manages the department’s $36 million budget, and oversees purchasing, the fleet and facilities and administrative staff. He’s also in charge of hiring. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration for fire service management from Northwood University, a master’s in executive fire leadership from Grand Canyon University and a doctorate in education from Cornerstone University.

Eloy Vega is the fire chief and emergency management coordinator in Port Neches, Texas, which is east of Houston along the border with Louisiana. He has been a firefighter for 23 years and was previously the fire district chief in Laredo, where he oversaw a budget of $57 million. He has experience in fire suppression, training and prevention, and was the arson district chief. He has a bachelor’s degree in applied arts and sciences from Texas A&M and a master’s in public administration from Sam Houston State University, and is working on a doctorate in fire and emergency management administration from Oklahoma State University.

The city has scheduled a forum where the public an meet the finalists and ask them questions. It will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, in the commission chambers at City Hall on Monroe Avenue downtown. If you can’t make it in person, you can watch on Comcast Channel 26 or the city’s Facebook or YouTube channels. Questions can be asked in person, on the Facebook Live chat or sent in ahead of time via the city’s website.

After the forum, the city will open a survey to get public feedback, taking comment online and via phone through 311. That survey will close at 5 p.m. March 31.

“While it is ultimately my responsibility to hire a fire chief, residents will continue to have a voice in the process of selecting our next chief,” City Manager Mark Washington said in a Thursday statement. “Public safety and resident engagement is essential for a thriving community, and the next fire chief will be fundamentally responsible for carrying out the vision articulated in the City’s and department’s strategic plans.”

Chief John Lehman announced in December that he would retire this spring. He was named to the job in 2016.

The city launched a nationwide search for his replacement in January. The application deadline was March 31, after which a consultant narrowed down the pool and then brought in the city manager to pick finalists.