JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With the recent news of the current Jacksonville Fire Chief, Keith Powers, resigning early; it’s unknown who will replace him.
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Finding a new leader according to the city will be, “It will be an open process and interested applicants can apply for the position,” said Melissa Ross, Director of Strategic Initiatives/Press Liaison with the Office of Mayor Donna Deegan. However, the position is appointed by the mayor.
Here is a look at the previous fire chiefs since 1886, according to the city’s website:
History of Chiefs
1886 - 1891
Peter Jones, a former alderman and six-term mayor, became the city’s first chief to lead a professional fire department. Paid $125 a month, Jones led a department with 20 officers and men housed in three stations, including Fire Station 3, in which all assigned personnel were African Americans.
1891 - 1892
John H. Stephens resigned a year and seven months into his job as fire chief to take a better paying job as a contracting agent with the Florida Central and Peninsular railroad.
1892 - 1926
Thomas W. Haney left the Atlanta Fire Department, where he was a captain, to become the department’s third chief. Haney lead an effort to acquire a better alarm system for the town as well as an improved water works system.
1926 - 1933
Hubert R. MacMillan fought the Great Fire of 1901 as a foreman assigned to Station 4. Firefighters saved the station, but MacMillan lost his house on Monroe Street to the flames. During his tenure as fire chief he oversaw the opening of five new fire stations as the department expanded its service into South Jacksonville.
1933 - 1943
William Q. Dowling spent 42 years on the fire department, his last 10 as chief. He lived in a house adjoining Central Station. Under his leadership, the department became a model for efficient management, equipment and personnel, and the city’s insurance rates were extremely low. He was a member of the International Fire Chiefs Association and one-time president of the Southeastern Fire Chiefs Association.
1943 - 1952
George E. Hare spent 43 years in the fire department until retiring at the then-mandatory age of 65. He served as deputy chief for 10 years before being appointed chief. He joined the department in 1909, at a salary of $60 a month, when all the equipment was horse-drawn and steam pumpers were used to create the pressure needed to send streams of water onto fires.
1952 - 1953
Joseph B. Chancey also joined the fire department during the horse-drawn era in 1907. He served eight years as deputy chief and a short tenure as fire chief before reaching mandatory retirement. He served as president of the Florida State Firemen’s Association in 1927-28 and in an advisory role, helped organize the fire-fighting system in Orlando in 1936. He also helped organize the Florida State Fire College.
1953 - 1963
Frank C. Kelly spent 43 years in the fire department, including 10 as chief, before mandatory retirement at age 65. Known for maintaining strict discipline, Kelly avidly promoted the department and is credited with upgrading its equipment.
1963 - 1966
George R. Cromartie joined the fire department in 1927. He served as an assistant chief for 11 years and deputy chief for two years before his appointment to fire chief.
1966 - 1968
Wingate A. Jackson Jr. spent 40 years in the Jacksonville Fire Department. During his 2 1/2-year tenure as chief, he oversaw the formation of the city’s emergency rescue service, acquisition of more modern firefighting equipment and advanced planning for the department under the new consolidated government.
1968 - 1971
John J. Hubbard joined the department in 1927 on the same day as former chief George R. Cromartie. Hubbard led the department’s expansion of services following consolidation.
1971 - 1974
W.E. Smith battled firefighters over restrictions on hair length and dealt with racial tensions during his tenure as chief. A special mayor’s citizens committee recommended establishing long- and short-range goals for hiring more black firefighters. Nine were hired under a federal court order in 1972.
1974 - 1981
Russell Yarbrough joined the department in 1942 and worked his way up the ranks to assistant chief in 1971 before being appointed chief.
1981 -1984
Marshall Dean Gunn worked his way up through the ranks of the fire division, serving for a time as planning officer and coordinator of the city’s volunteer fire services. He spent 36 years in the department before retiring.
1984 - 1988
Miles R. Bowers joined the fire department in 1946 after returning from the service in World War II. In his first term as chief, he took charge following a critical grand jury report and guided the department through some difficult years. He was named one of the top five chiefs in the United States by Fire Chief Executive Magazine.
1988 - 1989
Gary F. Keys joined the department in 1960, was an original member of the first rescue units in Jacksonville in 1968 and served as chief of operations and chief of fire services during his 29-year career. A former president of the firefighters union, he left the department after less than seven months as fire chief to become the business agent for the union.
1989 - 1991
Daniel Ingle was a 21-year veteran of the fire department when he was named fire chief. Previously, he served as chief of operations. Ingle’s brief tenure coincided with a change in mayors.
1991 - 1995
Charles D. Clark spent 34 years as a city fireman. He was the city’s first fire chief to also serve as director of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Previously, the post was divided, and most directors had been civilians. Clark left the department to become director of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
1995 - 1995
Randall W. Napoli, who was chief of the Fire Training Division, served as interim chief while newly-elected Mayor John Delaney searched for a new fire chief. Napoli then served as Chief of Operations before retiring from the department to become the state fire college’s Chief of Fire Standards and Training. Napoli also served as head of the state fire college and then eventually became director of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. In that role, he won ‘The Firefighters’ Hero Award’ for his efforts to pass a law strengthening safety rules for firefighters.
1995 - 2003
Rayfield Alfred became the city’s first African-American fire chief when Mayor John Delaney recruited him from Washington, D.C., following a national search for a new chief from outside the department. A 30-year veteran firefighter in Washington, including five years as chief, Alfred oversaw plans in Jacksonville to build new fire stations and replace aging equipment.
2003 - 2003
Miles R. Bowers served more time on the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department than anyone before retiring after 57 years of service. His second term as head of the department was a brief one as interim chief until Mayor John Peyton could fill a campaign promise to replace Ray Alfred.
2003 - 2006
Richard A. Barrett had been with the Fire and Rescue Department since 1973 before assuming the department’s top position. Following his appointment, he emphasized training and upgrading the department’s aging equipment and facilities. Prior to his ascension to fire chief, he served as a battalion chief for more than eight years and as chief of the Fire Prevention Division for three.
2006 - 2010
Daniel A. Kleman came to Jacksonville in 2004 to serve as Mayor John Peyton’s Chief Administrative Officer. In October 2006, he moved from City Hall to JFRD to lead the department while Fire Chief Richard Barrett was on extended medical leave. Barrett retired from JFRD in 2006, and Kleman was confirmed as Director in June 2007. Kleman returned to City Hall in December 2010 to lead Peyton’s mayoral transition project.
2010 - 2011
Dr. Charles E. Moreland, a Jacksonville native, joined the department in 1990. In 2003, Mayor John Peyton appointed Moreland as Chief of the Rescue Division, a post he held until being selected as Director/Fire Chief in December 2010, when Director Dan Kleman returned to City Hall.
2011 - 2015
Martin Senterfitt was appointed Director/Fire Chief by Mayor Alvin Brown in December 2011. Senterfitt entered the department’s top spot after overseeing the Emergency Preparedness Division since June 2008. He joined JFRD in 1988.
August 2015 - May 2019
Kurtis R. Wilson was appointed Director/Fire Chief by Mayor Lenny Curry in August 2015. His previous administrative experience included overseeing the department’s Fire Operations Division as well as the Fire Prevention and Administrative Services divisions. Wilson joined JFRD in 1994.
May 2019 to Present, Keith Powers was selected as interim Director/Fire Chief by Mayor Curry in May 2019. Powers’ appointment became permanent in November 2019. Previously, he served as Division Chief of Fire Operations for four years, and before then, he oversaw the department’s fleet facility, known as Tactical Support. Powers joined JFRD in 1996.
Here is a look at the job description for Jacksonville’s fire chief position.
Job Description
This position is appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council, and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor.
The Director of Fire and Rescue reports to the Chief Administrative Officer and is responsible for managing the operation and control of fire and rescue services. Primary responsibilities include:
Examples of Work
- Develop and implement short-term and long-term goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for the Fire Department. Align these with City goals, establish appropriate service and staffing levels, and allocate resources accordingly.
- Direct and coordinate a multi-disciplinary staff in fire suppression, fire prevention, administrative services, emergency medical aid, emergency preparedness programs and fire training.
- Communicate clear direction, manage for results, and lead organizational change.
- Manage the development and administration of the Fire Department budget and present to the Mayor and City Council for approval. This includes forecasting additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies, monitoring and approving expenditures, and preparing and implementing budgetary adjustments as necessary.
- Serve as the primary spokesperson during emergency incidents, providing timely and accurate information to the media while managing public perception and ensuring community safety.
- Coordinate the transparent and equitable distribution of resources from local, state, and federal sources.
- Improve departmental accountability for spending funds appropriately by ensuring timely and accurate reporting to appropriate agencies.
- Facilitate collaboration between the Fire Department and other departments, external agencies, and organizations.
- Maintaining close coordination with the City Council, actively participating in meetings and addressing any issues that may arise as a result.
- Serve as a clear and effective leader for communications with the community.
- Stay abreast of new trends, innovations, standards, and guidelines in all facets of fire suppression, fire prevention, emergency preparedness and emergency medical services.
Open Requirements/Supplemental Information
The Director shall have a college degree from an accredited college or university, proven administrative ability, and at least five years of administrative experience in the field of public safety, or commensurate training and experience. Note: This classification performs safety-sensitive functions and is subject to pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing programs as set forth in the City of Jacksonville’s Drug-Free Workplace Policy (Directive 0401).
A FULLY COMPLETED ONLINE APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. Apply at www.jacksonville.gov. Work history is required for all employment/volunteer work in which qualifications are being based. When meeting/basing qualifications on education, a copy of your college transcript, with your social blacked out, is required with your application. Transcripts do not need to be official, but must state your name, the school’s name, classes taken, grades received, type of degree, and date degree was conferred.
The application system works best with Google Chrome or Edge with Chromium web browsers. Please try to apply using one of these browsers. To ensure you receive email notifications, be sure to make “info@governmentjobs.com” a trusted sender. You may also track the status of your application and see notifications by logging into your account. For further information regarding the application process please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the website.
Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and the family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.
If claiming veteran’s preference, you must attach a DD-214 (Member Form-4 copy) or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs listing military status, dates of service and character of discharge. You must also attach the Veterans Preference Certification Form and if applicable, the additional forms as noted here: http://www.coj.net/departments/employee-services/veterans-preference.
If a candidate believes he or she was not afforded veteran’s preference, he or she may file a written complaint, within sixty (60) calendar days upon receipt of notification of the hiring decision, requesting an investigation to:
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
Attention: Veterans’ Preference Coordinator
11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 311-K
Largo, FL 33778-1630
