COVINGTON, Ky. – A new deputy chief position designed to put undivided focus on training within the Covington Fire Department has set in motion a cascading series of promotions.

• The Covington Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night approved appointing:
• Assistant Chief Michael Bloemer to the newly created position of deputy chief of operations.
• Battalion Chief Corey Deye to assistant chief of training to replace Bloemer.
• Captain Joseph Bowman to battalion chief to replace Deye.
• Lieutenant Daniel DeCarlo to captain to replace Bowman.
• Engineer Dylan Meyer to lieutenant to replace DeCarlo.
• And firefighter Jason Lauer to engineer to replace Meyer.

The new management structure has been a goal of the Fire Department for years to separate out the training and daily operations functions, Chief Mark Pierce explained.

Prior to this change, the department had three assistant chiefs in charge of emergency medical services, fire prevention, and operations and training.

But unlike the Police Department, which sends recruits to the 24-week Kentucky State Police Academy in addition to in-house training, firefighters are trained entirely within Covington, Pierce said. That’s both a blessing and a curse, he said.

“We don’t have to wait for positions to open up for our recruits in an academy 100 miles away, but it also requires full-time attention within the department,” Pierce said. “It’s very difficult for one person to manage the day-to-day operations while also making sure our men and women are properly trained throughout their careers.”

The position was discussed and approved as part of the Commission’s budget discussions earlier this year.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Pierce and other members of his command staff recognized the promoted members, gave a short summary of their careers, and gave them their new badges:

• Bloemer has been with the City for 22 years and became a battalion chief in 2017 and assistant chief of operations and training in 2018. He has Bachelor’s degrees in biology, pharmacology, and Fire Science and a Master’s in public administration.
• Deye has been with the City for 17 years and became a captain in 2017 and a battalion chief in September 2021. He has an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Service Technology and is a Level 2 fire instructor and a Level 3 EMS instructor.
• Bowman has been with the City for 16 years and became a lieutenant in 2016 and a captain in 2018. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in business administration and is working toward a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Organizational Management. He is a certified fire investigation technician and a fire inspector level 1 and 2.
• DeCarlo has been with the City for 11 years and became lieutenant in 2017. He has a Bachelor’s in Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation and an Associate’s in Fire Science.
• Meyer has been the City for 6 years.
• Lauer has been with the City for 11 years.  

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