By Shayla Stone, Editorial Assistant
On Wednesday, September 18, the Etowah County 911 board of directors named Gadsden Fire Chief Wil Reed its next executive director after longtime executive director Bill Brodeur announced his retirement.
“We are ecstatic for Chief Reed,” said Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford. “He has been an invaluable asset to the City of Gadsden. Since I became mayor less than two years ago, I have had a front-row seat as Chief Reed effectively led our response to numerous emergencies, including severe weather, hazmat incidents, search and rescue, and more. He even successfully managed the Gadsden-Etowah Emergency Management Agency as its interim director for several months. All I can say is the county’s gain is the city’s loss, but we are happy and thankful to know he will be nearby and still heavily engaged in our first responder community.”
Reed’s appointment begins in October while Brodeur will assist with Reed’s transition to the new role through the end of the year. Ford said an interim fire chief would be named in the coming days while the city advertises the vacancy, which will ultimately be filled at the discretion of the Gadsden Civil Service Board.
Reed was appointed as the Gadsden Fire Chief by the Civil Service Board in 2021 after the retirement of former fire chief Stephen Carroll. Reed, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter for the Ballplay Bend Volunteer Fire Department in Hokes Bluff, had previously served as the Gadsden Fire Department’s division chief of emergency medical services.
When Reed took the helm of the Gadsden Fire Department, it had more than a dozen unfilled firefighter positions, creating a logistical and financial challenge for departmental operations. Earlier this year, the city announced its fire department had reached full staffing, requiring it to create a waiting list for firefighter recruits for the first time in over a decade.