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Kelvin J. Cochran, chief of the Shreveport, LA, department, has been named the new chief of Atlanta’s Fire Department. Cochran is expected to begin his new post in January.
Since 1982, Cochran has been a firefighter in the Shreveport department, working his way up to fire chief in 1999. During his 26-year career in Shreveport, he served as a training officer and assistant chief training officer immediately before being named chief. Cochran currently serves as the first vice president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is slated to move into the president’s position in 2008.
The newly appointed Atlanta chief has a bachelor of science in organizational management from Wiley College in Texas and a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology from Louisiana Tech University. |
In Shreveport, Cochran directed the operations of a 600-member Class One fire department covering 112 square miles which provides emergency medical services and advanced life support transport. It has 21 stations with three shifts and five districts, and divisions of labor including emergency medical services, fire prevention, training, maintenance, communications, aircraft rescue and firefighting. Cochran also oversaw emergency operations, which consisted of fire suppression; emergency medical response and transport, hazardous materials operations; bomb disposal; search and rescue; underwater rescue; and a number of public information and education programs and services. In addition to serving as fire chief, he also served as Homeland Security Coordinator and was responsible for emergency preparedness efforts within the City of Shreveport.
“It is an honor to have been appointed by Mayor Franklin to be the fire chief of the Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department,” said Cochran. “A best-in-class city deserves a best-in-class fire department. The men and women of Atlanta Fire-Rescue are some of the most recognized fire professionals in the United States. Together we will work to create further improve the public safety quality of life for Atlanta’s residents and visitors.”
He will join a department that covers 132 square miles within the City of Atlanta. The Atlanta Fire Department also provides mutual aid to neighboring counties upon request. The Department has 37 fire stations and 1,045 employees (sworn and non-sworn). The fire chief also has oversight for the Airport Fire Service, which has 208 employees and provides aircraft fire protection, structural fire protection, emergency medical services protection, and hazardous materials/special rescue response protection to the traveling public and employees of Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is the world's busiest airport. The fire service also operates and oversees the largest automatic defibrillator program in the country.
His proposed annual salary is $160,000.
Interim Atlanta Fire Chief Harold Miller has been serving in the position since April 2007.
The Fire Chief is expected to be confirmed by the Atlanta City Council during the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee next week.
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