The upcoming agenda for the Jacksonville City Council meeting has revealed the name of the person Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard has selected as the city’s next Fire Chief.
According to the posting of the agenda, Matt Summers has been selected by the mayor to succeed retiring Fire Chief Doug Sills.
Mayor Ezard says it was a hard decision to choose between the city’s three fire captains: “It was a very difficult situation and decision because all three of them are very capable and would do a wonderful job. They’ve got big shoes to fill in regards to Chief Sills retiring. I selected Matt Summers to replace Chief Sills. That’s on the agenda for Monday night to get confirmation from the City Council of my decision. I really don’t see any issues of them promoting Matt to Chief.”
Ezard says that the department has benefited from strong leadership for its depth and its diverse skill sets. Ezard says that Summers’ skill set is what drew to him to make that choice: “He’s got a unique set of skills. He’ll be a good face for the department. I enjoy his calm demeanor and his leadership ability that he has demonstrated in the past. He will keep the department moving in a positive direction like it has been going. I think the hurdles and obstacles ahead, he will tackle those along with his department, and the city will be happy with the results in the future.”
Ezard says that Summers has been good about communicating effectively to the public over social media, something that he sees as a crucial outreach point for the city’s fire department moving into the next phase.
Summers’ confirmation will be voted on at the Jacksonville City Council meeting on Monday night.