Brandy Williams becomes Madison’s first female fire chief

MADISON – Brandy Williams is Madison’s new fire chief.

Williams was previously Deputy Fire Chief. She served as acting Fire Chief after former Chief David Bailey’s departure. At the May 12 city council meeting, the city council voted to remove acting from her title and make her permanent fire chief.

“When Deputy Chief was officially given the acting chief role, one of the things that had already been done is she had started the process of talking to everyone within the fire department and when she came to talk with me as mayor, she let me know what her thoughts were and where she felt like her game plan was,” recounted Mayor Paul Finley.

Finley praised her plans for staff retention, equipment, training, and facilities.

“I wanted to make sure everybody knew, we’re not just naming someone. It’s someone who, in turn, has a game plan, a commitment from a team,” said Finley.

“We have a plan moving forward and we will continue to build on that plan and we will go forward and be better everyday,” said Williams after her swearing in.

Williams is a 27-year veteran of the fire department and now, the city’s first female fire chief.