• Home
• News
• Events
• Features
• Sports
• About
• Contact
• Advertise

Latest Headlines

• Five WaWa Stores In The Works For Escambia County. Here’s The List.
• Scattered Storms Likely Again Today
• Motorcyclist Critical After Jacks Branch Road Crash
• FDOT Plans Traffic Shift Thursday In Century Highway 29 Construction Zone
• Molino Man Charged With Throwing Object, Breaking Windshield Of Passing Car
• North Escambia Athletes Place In USA Volleyball Beach National Championships
• Santa Rosa Sheriff Issues Contractor Fraud Alert After Arrest
• Escambia Man Gets 10 Years On Firearms And Financial Racketeering Charges
• New Name, Same Fish: Largemouth Bass Are Now Florida Bass
• ECUA Considering Water, Sewer And Sanitation Rate Increases

Escambia Names New Fire And Public Safety Chief

Escambia County has a new fire chief and public safety bureau chief — former Pensacola Fire Chief Frank Edwards will take over both positions.

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 left vacant 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.

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.