Former Colorado Springs Fire Chief Manny Navarro didn’t waste any time in a rocking chair when he retired from his job of 14 years on Oct. 10.

Ten days later, he was named vice president of EMS systems development at Greenwood Village-based American Medical Response, El Paso County’s longtime emergency ambulance contractor.

“We’re excited to have him on board,” Greenwood Village-based AMR spokeswoman Deborah Hileman said in a statement. “In his new position here at national headquarters, he will play an important role in helping AMR to build new partnerships with fire services across the country in communities where AMR does not currently provide EMS services.”

She said Navarro was hired because of his experience as a firefighter, educator, community leader and his understanding of EMS systems.

Navarro served on the Emergency Services Agency board, which oversees AMR’s local contract, from 1995 to 2006.

Navarro got into hot water in 1997 when four citizens accused him of an ethics lapse by appearing in an AMR sales video and promoting an AMR golf event for fire chiefs. The city attorney cleared him of wrongdoing.

In 2004, Navarro was suspended without pay for a week for endorsing a county commission candidate running against Sallie Clark, with whom Navarro locked horns over whether the Fire Department should replace the ambulance service.

Clark supported the idea, thinking firefighters could respond quicker. Navarro opposed it and persuaded the City Council in 2005 to drop the idea.

Clark, a council member from 2001 to 2003 who launched her political career by heading off Navarro’s call to close west-side Station 3, had few words about his new post.

“My personal relationship with Mr. Navarro is not really related to this discussion, because I have tried to put all that aside and move on to the bigger job at hand, to provide a contract,” she said, referring to AMR’s new multiyear deal that’s being negotiated.

“He will not have oversight over our El Paso County contract, so I’m comfortable with that,” she said.

Clark cast the sole “no” vote last week when the ESA board voted “to recognize Chief Navarro for his contributions to the ESA system here in El Paso County.”

Clark said honoring a contractor’s employee might be seen as inappropriate.

Navarro was a firefighter for 42 years, starting in Oakland, Calif., at 19.

He’s developed a national reputation as an expert in urban search and rescue and has worked on Federal Emergency Management Agency teams. AMR landed the nationwide FEMA emergency contract last year.

Navarro, who wasn’t available for comment, was paid $147,657 a year when he retired.

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Contact the writer: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazettedev.gazette.com