By STEPHEN DAWKINS

Staff Writer

Though seeking public office for the first time, Frank Brocato knows Hoover and its residents well.

Brocato joined Hoover Fire Department in 1973 and served in a variety of roles, including chief of emergency medical services. He retired in 2015 as operations chief and fire marshal.

Brocato said that when he first joined HFD, there were three men involved who had been in the mayor’s office.

“I’ve always kind of had the bug to serve in that capacity,” he said.

Brocato said he enjoyed promoting the fire department and would like to do the same for the city as a whole.

“I see the mayor as the ambassador of the city,” he said. “We have a wonderful city, but we’ve been on cruise control.”

The city’s education system has been taken for granted, Brocato said.

“I’m convinced that an outstanding school system is what brings families to the area,” he said.

Brocato said he has been married 44 years and has three children and nine grandchildren, most of whom call Hoover home.

Other issues important to Brocato are master planning, including revitalization and business recruitment and retention.

“We need to plan growth and understand the impact it has on infrastructure, schools and city services,” he said.

Brocato said he thinks Hoover could bring in more high-paying jobs in science, technology and engineering; and identifying an area for a public/private partnership to create a “downtown” could be beneficial.

Brocato said Hoover residents in Shelby County may feel underserved because of their distance from City Hall.

“I want to correct that by being a mayor that will have town hall meetings all over our city,” he said. “I commit to being full-time in the mayor’s office.”

Brocato said his experience with the fire department, during which time he worked with several mayors and managed a $17 million budget, was invaluable.

“I believe it has prepared me to do the job,” he said. “It has been a privilege and an honor to work here.”