LAKELAND —Michael Williams, former Battalion Chief at the Lakeland Fire Department, was selected as the department’s new Assistant Chief of Operations. Williams will begin his new role immediately. He's filling a vacancy created when Douglas E. Riley was promoted to fire chief after the retirement of former Fire Chief Gary Ballard.
Williams has more than 24 years of collective public safety experience and has been with the department since 1998. In the role of assistant chief, he will oversee and provide direction for the Operations Division and is responsible for personnel and emergency responses for the department. His annual salary will be $116,978.00.
Williams served as Battalion Chief since January 2010 and was a lieutenant prior to that. He holds several certifications including State Fire Officer, Fire Instructor III, Fire Safety Inspector, Pump Operator, Florida Urban Search and Rescue Operations, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting among many others. He is also a certified paramedic. Williams is a member of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association. He is also a member of the State of Florida Region 4/6 Incident Management Team, having most recently deployed in response to Hurricane Irma. He earned his associates degree in Emergency Medical Services from Polk State College and a bachelor’s degree in Public Safety from Polk State College. Williams is a graduate of Florida State University’s Certified Public Manager program. He recently graduated from the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association (FFCA) Emergency Services Leadership Institute (ESLI) and was selected to participate in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.