FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2021
Chief Smith competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country and Canada to become a member of the Fire Services Executive Development Institute (FESDI) 2021 cohort program
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) recently announced that Dr. Hezedean A. Smith, Fire Chief of the Charlottesville Fire Department, will participate in the 2021 Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI) program. Chief Smith competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country and Canada to become a member of the 2021 cohort program.
With over 30 years of emergency services profession, Chief Smith retired from the Orlando Fire Department and was later appointed in 2020 to lead the Charlottesville Fire Department. Chief Smith earned his Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, a designated Chief Fire Officer, and Chief EMS Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. His vision is to transform the 165-year-old organization into a high-performance multidiscipline emergency services operation.
The Fire Service Executive Development Institute program is in its ninth year. The Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the International Association of Fire Chiefs with a grant to fund the program.
The Fire Service Executive Development Institute is a year-long leadership-development program created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. The members of the cohort will meet virtually until they are allowed in-person sessions. The group will communicate between sessions using an online community.
The IAFC's Fire Service Executive Development Program has become the premier career- and leadership-development program in the fire and rescue services thanks to the Motorola Solutions Foundation's generous support. Many officers from the previous programs have successfully achieved fire chief positions and are effectively leading fire departments throughout the country.
Media Contact
Joe Powers
Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal
Charlottesville Fire Department
804-517-0564
powers@charlottesville.gov