City of South Fulton Fire Chief Freddie Broome was named Fire Chief of the Year at the 2019 Georgia Fire Service Conference in Albany, Ga. on Saturday, September 14.
Chief Broome was nominated along with several other candidates and selected as this year’s recipient by the Georgia Association of Fire Chief’s Board. He was selected because of his established reputation as a dedicated leader who is driven by a challenge, undeterred by obstacles, and committed to furthering standards of excellence.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by your colleagues for such a distinguished award. I will continue to be a committed and strong leader in the Fire Service as well as ensure the residents in the community I serve receive world class services,” said Chief Broome.
Earlier in the year, Chief Broome also received a proclamation from the State of Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner for his leadership in the Fire Service, and he is the recipient of the Woodmen of the World VFD Fireman of the Year Award.
Broome was sworn in as the city of South Fulton’s new Fire Chief in June of this year. He previously served as Fire Chief in Valdosta, Ga., a position he held since March 2014. As the Fire Chief in Valdosta, Broome provided leadership and management for the administration, operations, training, fire prevention, maintenance and special operations divisions that consist of 108 staff members, six individual fire stations and one regional Georgia Search and Rescue Team.
During his tenure as the Valdosta Fire Chief, Broome maintained a department budget over $8 million. He was responsible for leading the Valdosta Fire Department to an ISO Class 1 rating, and the department is currently working towards becoming an accredited agency.
Chief Broome has 23 years of experience in fire service. He was instrumental in starting the Citizen Fire Academy, the Valdosta Fire and Rescue EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) program, purchasing new fire trucks and adding MDC (Mobile Data Computers) to all of the department’s fire trucks. Broome is also responsible for establishing policy and procedures and purchasing equipment to improve firefighter safety, firefighter rehabilitation, and cancer reduction efforts.
Photo Credit: South Fulton Fire Rescue