A new Fire Chief has been appointed in DeSoto. The DeSoto City Council confirmed the appointment in a statement. According to the city, Bryan Southard is a 21-year veteran of the city’s fire department, and DeSoto’s newest Fire Chief.
Bryan Southard served as the fire department’s second in command as Assistant Chief since May 2018, NBC DFW reports. The Fire Chief then was Jerry Duffield, who served for nine years.
DeSoto City Council has appointed Bryan Southard to succeed Duffield.
According to city officials, Bryan Southard began serving in the DeSoto Fire-Rescue Department in March 2001. He started as a Firefighter and then moved up the ranks from Engineer to Captain to Battalion Chief to EMS Battalion Chief to Assistant Fire Chief, and now to Fire Chief.
Bryan Southard holds a Fire Service Chief Executive Officer Certification from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Certified Fire Executive, and EMS Chiefs Academy Certifications from the Texas Chief’s Academy. He is also a recipient of numerous awards and certifications gained during his extensive firefighting career.
City Manager Brandon Wright said that Bryan Southard, who has been in senior-level management for the past seven years, has contributed to the department’s transformation within this period. “Chief Southard has prepared himself in every conceivable way to serve as DeSoto’s next Fire Chief,” Wright said.
Wright further said that the city hopes that his new role will enable him to help the department succeed over the next decade.
Bryan Southard had feelings of excitement to share about his appointment to DeSoto Fire Chief, stating, “I am excited in this new role to continue working with every level of this organization in providing first-rate fire services to the DeSoto community.”