As Lee Glover takes over as fire chief of the Frisco Fire Department (FFD), he will have to mend a lot of fences within the department.
Glover, 56, was promoted in June to fill the opening left by former Fire Chief Mark Piland, who reportedly retired under pressure last year amid a scandal involving the alleged doctoring of public records. The new chief said he would meet with firefighters in all nine stations to unify the 278 employees and move forward in the fast-growing Collin County city of 210,000.
“I’ll be meeting with everyone, trying to quash any rumors,” Glover told The Dallas Express in an interview last week. “We are not going to do a bunch of big changes. Change is inevitable, but I am not looking to change anything quickly.”
“[The firefighters] are going to be part of it. It’s not just one person telling them what will happen,” Glover said.
Along the way, Glover will need to assemble a leadership team. He was appointed fire chief after serving as interim chief and assistant chief. Just before Glover’s promotion, another assistant chief resigned.
“We have to get everything in place,” Glover said. “We also have to maintain trust with the public.”
City Manager Wes Pierson bumped Glover into the top role in June. Glover had served as interim chief since September and was one of five finalists for the job, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“Lee’s combination of experience, knowledge, and leadership was the best fit for the department,” Pierson said in a statement to The Dallas Express. “I believe Lee is deeply committed to the success of Team Frisco and will work hard to serve our community and members of FFD.”
Glover has more than 30 years of experience to draw from. He started his career with FFD in 1991. Moving up the ranks, he served as an assistant chief from 2009 to 2022, overseeing administration, support services, and emergency services.
“I was asked in September to be the interim chief,” Glover said. “Even at that time, I was not sure if I wanted to be a fire chief. I had never applied for it anywhere.”
Pierson worked with Glover to pass a five-year bond for fire department improvements. The department also got reaccredited while he was interim chief. Glover said he enjoyed the work.
“I decided, you know what? I will put in for it — the chief’s job,” he said. “Fortunately, I was picked.”
Working with other city leaders inspired Glover to move up, he said.
“There was a strong trust built up with that group,” Glover added. “If I had any difficulties along the way, I knew they would be there to help me. Also, other chiefs in the metroplex kept talking to me, saying, ‘Lee, you’re the right person for Frisco right now.’ So I decided, why not?”
Glover has been married to his wife Jamie for 34 years. They have two boys, Ryan and Adam. The Glovers have lived in Frisco for 32 years in two homes, the most recent of which they have lived in for more than 20 years.
“This town and the people in it … you just don’t want to leave it,” Glover said. “My kids went to school here. There is a can-do attitude in Frisco. It’s hard to duplicate.”
The fire department attained the highest insurance rating awarded by the Insurance Services Office, ISO Class 1. Glover aims to keep the rating so local homeowners can save money on their monthly insurance premiums.
Two other priorities rank high on Glover’s list going forward: staffing and equipment.
“We want to keep people who want to be firemen and recruit more,” Glover said. “We also have a problem with supply-chain issues.”
Glover told The Dallas Express that he was committed to his job and the city, with three decades of memories and a new job title to show for it.
“We are going to do everything we can to keep everybody safe and have trust in us,” he said.
