The Mayor, City Commission and City Manager met after the City Commission meeting on Monday, October 10, 2016 and held discussion of the Fire Chief position within the Douglas Fire Department. The City of Douglas is happy to announce the promotion of Captain Larry Wilson as Fire Chief of the Douglas Fire Department. Other promotions within the Fire Department include Captain Casey Wright as the Assistant Fire Chief.
“We welcome Larry to the management team of the City of Douglas,” says City Manager Terrell Jacobs. “Larry brings 29 years of fire service to the Chief position and we know he will help to lead the department to a brighter future.”
Wilson graduated from Coffee County High school in 1985. Having a strong desire to serve our country, in 1986 he enlisted with the National Guard for nine years. Chief Wilson served in the US Army as an E4 specialist combat engineer and served for one during Desert Storm. After Desert Storm, Wilson began his career as a firefighter at with the City of Douglas Fire Department in 1987 – 1999. In 1999, he was promoted Driver Engineer in 1999 – 2001 which held responsibilities such as being responsible for the safe and efficient operation of firefighting apparatus in response to emergencies. During this time, Wilson presented public safety training classes and school programs and instructed others regarding fire safety, fire prevention, and firefighting strategies. Wanting to achieve more in the Douglas Fire Department, Wilson was promoted to Training Officer where he directed, planned and coordinated training for the Fire Department. In 2004, he was promoted Lieutenant at the Coffee County Fire Department to further his endeavors in fire service. While working as Lieutenant with Coffee County Fire Department, Wilson directed and participated in activities of company level personnel on fire scenes and other emergencies. Returning to the City of Douglas Fire Department, Wilson was promoted to Fire Captain in 2013. While in this capacity, Wilson demonstrated the ability to control departmental activities and oversee the emergency activities of firefighting. He also established and maintained an excellent working relationship with the department’s personnel.
When asked about his goals as Fire Chief, Wilson said, “My first objective is the protection of citizens and properties within the City of Douglas. My next objective is to make a big difference in this department. I want to have a greater role in building a stronger morale among existing and new firefighters. I have researched the process of what it takes to run a Fire Department and throughout the years, I have been trained to meet the requirements as Fire Chief. When faced with criticism, as public servants must deal with, I will be the leader the men and women of this Fire Department deserve. I will work to earn their support in my endeavors to run this department which will make for a stronger foundation for the City of Douglas Fire Department.”
