The city of Madison is moving closer to naming a new fire chief as the three finalists are set to be interviewed by the City Council during a Saturday work session.

The interviews will be open to the public and will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the council chambers of Madison City Hall at 100 Hughes Road. Each candidate interview is expected to last one hour.

To minimize distractions, doors to the council chambers will be closed. Those who wish to attend may enter only at the beginning and conclusion of each interview. No questions from the public will be permitted.

The three finalists are David Bailey, fire chief in Harriman, Tennessee; Robert Woody, training chief in Searcy, Arkansas; and acting Madison Fire Chief Brandy Williams. The interview schedule is as follows:

• 8:30 a.m.: Brandy Williams;

• 9:30 a.m.: David Bailey; and

• 10:30 a.m.: Andy Woody.

The fire chief post has been vacant for several months. Former Chief Ralph Cobb retired last October after having been placed on administrative leave for six months. According to published media reports, Cobb was accused of age discrimination after older firefighters were not invited to participate in a class Cobb taught to younger firefighters.

The candidates are as follows:

David Bailey

Bailey is the fire chief and fire marshal for Harriman, Tennessee, a department with about personnel. He spent 36 years with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS in Virginia (with 485 personnel) and served as a dispatcher, firefighter, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, deputy director of training and safety, administrative officer and 10 years as a battalion chief.

Bailey also served as the risk manager for Goodwill Industries in Virginia and the deputy coordinator of emergency management in Powhatan County, Virginia. He has served at the chief level (battalion chief to fire chief) for about 11 years and has served in the roles of sergeant to captain for about 10 years.

He has a master’s degree in public administration, a bachelor’s degree in safety and risk administration and an associate degree in police science. Bailey has completed the executive fire officer program with the National Fire Academy.

Brandy Williams

Williams is currently the acting fire chief for the city of Madison and has been a member of the department since 1998. She has served in the roles of firefighter, driver, captain and deputy chief.

Williams has been at the chief level (deputy chief to acting chief) for one year and has served as captain for six years.

She has a bachelor’s degree in fire administration and an associate degree in health and physical education. Williams has the designation as a chief fire officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is enrolled in the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program with the National Fire Academy.

Robert “Andy” Woody

Woody is the training chief for Searcy, Arkansas, a department with 59 personnel. He previously spent 18 years with the Springfield, Missouri, Fire Department (with 220 personnel), serving as firefighter, training captain, shift captain, battalion chief and assistant fire chief.

He has been at the chief level (battalion chief to assistant chief) for about seven and a half years and served as captain for about nine and a half years.

Woody has a master’s degree in public government/administrative studies, a bachelor’s degree in business management and an associate degree in fire science technology. He has the designation as a chief fire officer and a chief training officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is in his final year of the Executive Fire Officer Program.