The city of South Fulton is getting a new fire chief.
Chad Jones, currently a deputy chief with the Coweta County Fire Department, retired last year as deputy chief over support services for Atlanta’s fire department, according to a Tuesday news release from South Fulton.
“I look forward to working with him as we take our excellent fire department to the next level,” said Mayor Bill Edwards in the release.
City Manager Tammi Saddler Jones said in the announcement that, with Jones’ 25 years of experience, the consensus from others fire chiefs is that he is “one of Georgia’s top fire officials.”
The position has been vacant for a year.
Jones takes over after Freddie Broome, who left Valdosta’s fire department and was sworn in as South Fulton’s fire chief in June 2019. Weeks later, Broome was named fire chief of the year at the 2019 Georgia Fire Service Conference in Albany. Broome left South Fulton early on in the COVID-19 pandemic for a position with the Georgia Municipal Association.
Before Broome, 38-year emergency services veteran Larry Few ran the department.
The Fulton County Fire Department became the South Fulton Fire Department in February 2018. According to previous reporting, the 160 employees protecting the southern portion of Fulton and parts of the first and third battalions got job offers.
Jones starts March 1.
