"It's been a long, arduous process," Mayor John M. Fabrizi said Thursday in announcing that he had selected Rooney, the provisional chief since February 2005, as the department's full-fledged top administrator.

The lengthy process of selecting a new fire chief began when Michael Maglione left the post to become Waterbury's chief early last year.

Fabrizi said Rooney fit the bill as "someone with extensive experience leading an urban Fire Department, who is passionate about fire safety and prevention and who has a demonstrated record of achievement."

Rooney ranked second among the three finalists for the chief's job after a nationwide search, and was the only one from the local ranks.

Thirty-two people had initially applied for the job.

The other two finalists were Daniel Andrus, a fire battalion chief in Salt Lake City, who ranked first after a battery of tests and interviews, and George Morgan, a retired battalion chief in Howard County, Md. Morgan supervises fire protection for Northrop Grumman, a large defense contractor.

The final choice, however, was Fabrizi's to make from the three finalists forwarded by the Civil Service Commission.

"I am overwhelmed with the confidence that the mayor has in my ability to manage the Fire Department," Rooney said.

"It'll probably set in tomorrow or the next day," he said.

A swearing-in ceremony for Rooney is planned at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall.

One of Rooney's immediate challenges could be mending relationships with the city's minority firefighters.

Two groups that represent black firefighters, charging he implemented budget cuts in a way that particularly threatened African-Americans, criticized his role as provisional chief.

They said the deaths of three members of a South End family may have been avoided had Rooney not closed down an engine company as directed by the mayor to save money.

A group of Hispanic firefighters also said they weren't impressed with Rooney's work.

But Rooney said he is proud of his role in diversifying personnel at the city's eight fire stations and in appointing minorities to key department positions.

But "you're not always going to please everybody," he said.

Rooney said his immediate priority is to press ahead with the "Safe Asleep" program, which aims to ensure all city dwellings have smoke detectors, especially homes occupied by children under 14, the disabled, senior citizens and those with older, battery-operated detectors.

Fabrizi said the new chief, who will serve a five-year term, will be paid a $102,793 salary — the same rate as new Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood. It is the middle of the range for such officials, the mayor said, adding that until now Rooney has been paid at the bottom of the range at $97,960.

Flanked by the six fire commissioners and the new chief, Fabrizi told a press conference that Bridgeport is an old industrial city with substantial housing stock that is decades old. He said he wanted to hire someone familiar with the city's conditions.

As chief, Rooney will oversee a staff of 322 fire personnel and 16 civilians, and a budget of $21.8 million.

A graduate of Notre Dame High School, Rooney joined the Fire Department on Sept. 9, 1972. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he was a drill instructor.