JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As the City of Jacksonville looks to replace outgoing Fire Chief Keith Powers, Action News Jax has learned some of those applying have been the subject of controversy in recent years.
The 17 candidates in the running to become the next chief of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department come with a combined total of more than 330 years of fire experience.
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The diverse slate of applicants includes educational backgrounds ranging from bachelor’s to master’s and even two doctoral degrees.
Five are military veterans.
Their fire experience is equally diverse, with one candidate holding the position of a rank-and-file firefighter, while others currently serve in top-level positions like District, Division, and Battalion Chief.
“We’ll be interviewing those folks that we feel are most qualified to do the job and we’ll move on from there,” Mayor Donna Deegan said Tuesday.
Deegan will be tasked with appointing the new Chief.
In 2023, she announced a series of ten new leadership appointments at JFRD, along with a new program aimed at growing the next generation of leadership from within the department.
“Safety is job one and I think Chief Powers has done an amazing job with that over the years,” Deegan said.
But two of the current candidates have been the subject of Action News Jax investigations.
JFRD Lieutenant Todd Smith faced sexual harassment claims during his time as Chief of Emergency Preparedness in 2022.
He resigned from his post days after Action News Jax broke the story in 2023.
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Candidate and current Fire District Chief Bryon Iveson also made headlines in April when Action News Jax revealed he faced an internal investigation and had been reassigned to desk duty after allegedly forcing a Muslim firefighter to break his Ramadan fast.
When asked about the controversy surrounding the two applicants, the Mayor told us she’ll be looking for a candidate that can unite the community.
“We need to pick somebody that will bring this community together, but also make sure that it is safe,” Deegan said.
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The Jacksonville City Council will need to confirm whoever the mayor picks to replace Powers.
His last day is June 30th.
The mayor’s pick will serve as Acting Chief as their appointment moves through the council confirmation process.
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