Mayor Kasim Reed announced today that Kelvin Cochran is the nominee for the position of Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. In 2009, Cochran was appointed by President Barack Obama as the U.S. Fire Administrator for the United States Fire Administration in Washington, D.C.
“I am pleased to announce my selection of Kelvin Cochran as the next Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “I think that Kelvin is the ideal candidate because he already has great knowledge of the City of Atlanta, and the time he spent in the Obama administration, working with the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, gave him additional experience to serve our great city.”
“For those reasons, I believe he’ll be a true asset to the City and I look forward to welcoming him back to Atlanta,” added Mayor Reed.
Cochran has 29 years of fire service experience. He served as Fire Chief of the City of Atlanta from 2008-2009 before being appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the U.S. Fire Administrator in Washington D.C.. As the U.S. Fire Administrator, Cochran was charged with overseeing, coordinating, and directing national efforts to prevent fires and improve fire response. Cochran also headed fire prevention and safety education programs and professional development opportunities for emergency responders at all levels of government.
Cochran has also served as Fire Chief of Shreveport, Louisiana. He is experienced in leadership and administration in all phases of the fire and emergency services including fire protection services, emergency medical services, hazardous materials, special operations, recruitment, hiring, promotional systems, public education, research and development, homeland security and emergency management. Cochran has experience with professional associations and non-governmental organizations. He has a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Wiley College and a Master of Science in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech University.
In accepting the appointment, Cochran said, “It’s an extreme honor to have been appointed by Mayor Kasim Reed to return to Atlanta as the next Fire Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. Serving at the Federal level has truly been a highlight of my fire service career. Being America’s Fire Chief cannot be understated, but I believe being Atlanta’s Fire Chief is my career purpose and calling.”
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Search Committee was chaired by Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Chief Sam Heaton and included: East Point Deputy Chief William Ware, David Allman, Professor Bahareh Azizi, Marcia Bansley, Johnny Dixon, Vonda Henry, Charles Johnson, former Georgia Department of Human Resources Jim Martin, Helene Mills, Hon. Mary Norwood, and Ken Prince. Boardwalk Consulting was the executive search firm which led the process.
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