DALLAS – Today, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announced a local and regional search for the next Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) Chief. The search is running staggered and concurrently with the Dallas Police Chief search.
“This search process is a pivotal step in ensuring we have the leadership needed to build upon the foundation established within Dallas Fire-Rescue and transcend the department into its next era of excellence and innovation,” said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “The ideal candidate will be passionate about delivering Service First, Now! results, have a proven track record of building strong teams, fostering community engagement and driving operational efficiency,” said Tolbert.
Tolbert added that she is confident the City will fill both the fire chief and police chief roles by early Spring to solidify the leadership of the City’s Safe portfolio led by Chief of Public Safety, Dominique Artis.
“Filling these mission critical leadership positions is a commitment I made in my recent 100-Day plan, Building on Our Momentum: The Journey Forward. As Dallas evolves into a globally recognized City that sets the standard for excellence, it is imperative to have a visionary leader guiding DFR into its next chapter,” said Tolbert.
As City Manager Tolbert previously shared with the Dallas City Council on January 31 memorandum, the City of Dallas engaged Public Sector Search & Consulting, Inc. (PSSC) to conduct the DFR search and the Dallas Police Department Police Chief Search (which is underway), to maximize efficiency and cost savings. PSSC is the only U.S. search firm exclusively focused on public safety, having conducted more public safety executive searches in the past five years than any other firm, including 15 major U.S. city searches and Dallas’s two previous police chief searches.
“Utilizing PSSC to conduct both the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief searches provides our organization with consistency and a guaranteed pool of sought after candidates that will produce visionary leaders,” said Chief Dominique Artis. “DFR plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of Dallas residents and we are confident that we will identify a strong, responsive and qualified candidate to become our next Fire Chief.”
Interim Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball was appointed to the position in June 2024 following Chief Artis’ promotion from Fire Chief to the City of Dallas’ First Chief of Public Safety (Interim). Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert appointed Chief Artis to the permanent Chief of Public Safety role in January.
