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NATCHEZ — City of Natchez officials interviewed three candidates for Natchez Fire Chief in a special called meeting Tuesday.

The interviews were conducted in an executive session as a personnel matter that was not open to the public.

Names of the fire chief applicants have not been released.

“The board interviewed three very qualified candidates for this position and had discussion on those candidates,” said Dan Gibson, Natchez mayor, after the closed meeting. No action was taken in the executive session, Gibson said.

The board, Gibson said, would take time to consider the applicants and make the decision regarding who will be hired for the position at a later board meeting.

“We are taking time with this process because it is a very important decision,” Gibson said of hiring the new fire chief.

Interim Fire Chief David Freeman, who was the battalion chief and is a 38-year veteran of the department, has temporarily filled the role of fire chief since former chief Ventris Green retired on Aug. 31.

Green was appointed fire chief in March 2019 after having served as interim fire chief for six months and has been a firefighter for more than 22 years.

Freeman, 65, said he is not interested in taking the job of fire chief full time but is excited at the opportunity to serve as chief until a permanent replacement is found.

Freeman retired from AMR ambulance service not long before being sworn in as interim chief after more than 24 years with AMR, he said.