Though it will be difficult to fill the boots of Fire Chief Carle Bishop, David Ezell appears to be a good fit. Ezell is a born and raised Floridian who has served more than 25 years rising through the ranks at Bradenton Fire Department, leaving his present role as the assistant fire chief to become Clermont’s new fire chief.
In a recent letter to the City, Ezell wrote, “I can appreciate the feeling of pride and loyalty all of you must have in protecting and serving the City of Clermont and the utmost respect that you undoubtedly have for your beloved, long-time Fire Chief. I understand that your search for his replacement must not be taken lightly and that you seek someone with a parallel service record, experience, expertise, and longevity who will also be a good cultural fit with the department and the community”.
Ezell compares his experiences as Assistant Fire Chief at Bradenton to that of Clermont, such as guiding a progressive department through the CFAI accreditation process, lowering the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification rating, establishing a technical rescue and hazmat team. He states, “coming from a municipality in Florida that is similar in size and governmental structure and a department that shares many characteristics with Clermont, I feel this position is both a natural fit and the right choice for me, given the experience over my career and the value I place on forming close, personal relationships with the people I work with”.
Let’s welcome Clermont’s new Fire Chief David Ezell to the Clermont Community and wish him success in his new role.
