Fire Chief

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF

The Office of the Fire Chief is responsible for the overall operation and direction of the department through the implementation of the strategic plan, ensuring that the objectives are proactive and consistent with the City of Atlanta's mission, vision and values.

The office consists of the Chief of Staff, an Executive Assistant, the Office of the Chaplaincy, and the Public Information Office.

The Office of Professional Standards is also within the FCO and is responsible for internal affairs investigations,advocacy, and EEOC complaints.

ABOUT THE FIRE CHIEF 

Chief Cochran’s career in the fire service began as a firefighter at the Shreveport Fire Department in 1981.

He was then promoted to fire training officer and served in this capacity from 1985 to 1990, when he was promoted to assistant chief training officer. His service in this position concluded when he was appointed fire chief of the Shreveport Fire Department on August 26, 1999. On January 2, 2008, Chief Cochran was appointed fire chief of the Atlanta (Ga.) Fire Rescue Department, serving until July 2009 when President Barack Obama appointed him as U.S. Fire Administrator for the United States Fire Administration in Washington, D.C.

Serving as the U.S. Fire Administrator, Chief Cochran was charged with overseeing, coordinating, and directing national efforts to prevent fires and improve fire response. In this capacity Chief Cochran worked extensively with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. 

On May 8, 2010, the Honorable Mayor Kasim Reed selected Chief Cochran as his nominee to assume the position of chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department in his administration, with his nomination being unanimously confirmed by the Atlanta City Council on August 16, 2010.

Chief Cochran has over 28 years of fire service experience from Firefighter to Assistant Chief Training Officer to Fire Chief of Shreveport, Louisiana, to Fire Chief of Atlanta, Georgia with involvement in all phases of the fire service: fire fighting, emergency medical services, hazardous materials, recruiting, public education, research and development, employee counseling, discipline, performance evaluation, and administration, with specialization in training and strategic planning/facilitating.

Chief Cochran has extensive involvement and leadership in the fire service, including positions with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), where he served on the board of directors as first vice president (2007) and second vice president (2006). He is also a past chair of the IAFC Program Planning Committee and President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Chief Cochran is a member of the IAFC; the IAFC Southeastern Division; the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section; and the Georgia Fire Chiefs Association, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association.

Chief Cochran has authored two chapters for Chief Fire Officers Desk Reference, published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers: Chapter 1 – “Leadership and Management” and Chapter 25 – “The Fire Chief of the Future.”