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County To Hire Edwards As New Fire Chief Tonight
July 23, 2009
Escambia County’s new fire chief and public safety bureau chief is expected to be officially hired by the county commission tonight.
The Escambia County Commission agenda for tonight includes hiring Pensacola Fire Chief Frank Edwards who will take over both positions at a salary of $100,000 per year.
Edwards was named Pensacola’s fire chief in 2007 after retiring as one of three deputy chiefs of the Chesterfield County (Virginia) Fire Department. He will take over the fire chief position of Interim Fire Chief Jim Sanders. Sanders was hired on an interim basis in February after former Fire Chief Ken Perkins was asked to resign by County Administrator Bob McLaughlin.
Edwards will also take over the job of Public Safety Bureau Chief Mike Hardin who is leaving that position to return to the supervisor of elections office.
If the commission approves his hiring as expected, Edwards’ first day on the job will be August 18.
In Virginia, Edwards spent 28 years with the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Management Service Department and held the rank of Second Deputy Chief with the department since 1999.
Edwards received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland and his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has received the professional designation of Chief Fire Officer from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program from the National Fire Academy. Edwards had been Pensacola’s fire chief since December 3, 2007.
Perkins was asked to resign after McLaughlin said he wanted a new administration to finally unify the department, eliminating problems between paid staff and volunteers. The county’s paid firefighters and 15 volunteer departments were all brought together with one unified leadership back in September. But McLaughlin said the department’s leaders did not have the skills needed to move the unified department forward with paid and volunteer firefighters working together. Then Assistant Chief Robbie Whitfield was also asked to resign.
Pictured: Escambia County’s new fire chief, Frank Edwards. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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