Administrative Staff

Fire Chief Bill Ale

Fire Chief William A. "Bill" Ale, a 30-year fire service veteran, is responsible for the fiscal and operational management of the Fire Division.  

A University of Maryland graduate, Ale is a second generation-firefighter.  He joined the service in 1977 in Silver Spring, Md., where his father retired as assistant chief.  His first stint in a managerial role was in 1986 as a station officer.

Since then, Ale has worn multiple hats, working as a training recruiter, dispatch supervisor and battalion chief over seven stations.  He's also a student, seeking his master's degree in Homeland Security management at the University of Maryland's University College.  Chief Ale holds certificates from the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute for Executive Studies, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and from Harvard Law School on Labor Relations.

Prior to his retirement from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue in 2007, Chief Ale served as executive assistant chief of the Operations Division, where he supervised staffing and scheduling.   He has represented his department on the Washington, D.C.-based National Capital Region's Incident Management Team and served in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the department's Operations and Planning Sections Chief for a 100-member response team.

In his short time as Chief of the Fire Division, Chief Ale has proven to be a progressive leader that believes fire prevention, early warning and suppression, and response based fire protection are the most effective and efficient ways to protect the citizens and visitors of Spartanburg. 

Fire Division Secretary II

The Fire Division's Secretary provides administrative support to the Fire Chief and provides assistance to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Station 1.  She assists in scheduling fire prevention activities, smoke detector installations, and car seat installations.  The Secretary can be reached at (864) 596-2083.

Suppression Staff

Assistant Chiefs

When on scene at an incident, the Assistant Chief staffs a command vehicle stocked with incident command resources such as pre-fire plans for commercial properties and multi-family dwellings, City and County mobile and portable radios, Clemens tag accountability system board, Tier II hazardous materials reports, and other incident command reference materials.  Generally, the Assistant Chief is the Incident Commander while on scene.  The Incident Commander is tasked with providing operational strategies to Battalion Chiefs, Captains, and Lieutenants to mitigate the incident.

The Assistant Chiefs are each responsible for managing a suppression shift of 23 personnel.  In addition to daily shift management, they are responsible for overseeing facilities and apparatus maintenance, special teams (Haz-mat team and SART), the training program, the safety survey program, and the hydrant maintenance and inspection program.

Battalion Chiefs

When on scene at an incident, the Battalion Chief staffs Engine 611 and provides command and/or operational support to the Incident Commander.  On smaller incidents, the Battalion Chief may be the Incident Commander.  On larger incidents, the Battalion Chief is generally assigned as a Division or Group Supervisor to manage and direct company officers and firefighters.

In addition to their duties on incident scenes, Battalion Chiefs are responsible for coordinating staffing and daily activities for each shift, supervision of personnel, reviewing and revising standard operating procedures, planning and reporting of daily activities, and coordinating haz-mat team activities.

Captains

When on scene at an incident, the Captain staffs an engine and provides operational support to the Division/Group Supervisor or Incident Commander.  On smaller incidents, the Captain may by the Incident Commander.  On larger incidents, the Captain is generally assigned as a Division or Group Supervisor to manage and direct firefighters.

In addition to their duties on incident scenes, Captains are each responsible for substation maintenance, daily activities at the substations, and supervision of personnel.

Lieutenants

The Lieutenants are assigned to various apparatus as company officers.  On smaller incidents, the Lieutenant may be the Incident Commander.  On larger incidents, the Lieutenant is generally assigned as a Division or Group Supervisor to manage and direct firefighters.

In addition to their duties on incident scenes, Lieutenants are each responsible for substation maintenance, daily activities at the substations, and supervision of personnel.

Sergeants

Each Sergeant is assigned as the primary driver for a fire apparatus.  The Sergeant conducts daily checks of the apparatus and its equipment to ensure everything is operating properly.  The Sergeant is responsible for driving the fire apparatus to and from the incident scene in a safe manner, initiating and maintaining a water supply on fire scenes, and working with firefighters to carry out tactics developed by supervisors on incident scenes.

Firefighters

Firefighters are assigned to all fire apparatus.  Firefighters are responsible for carrying out tactics developed by supervisors on incident scenes (i.e. - fire attack, search and rescue, ventilation, rapid intervention team, etc.).

Fire Prevention Office

Fire Marshal

The Fire Marshal supervises two fire inspectors and is responsible for public fire safety education, fire, arson and explosion investigations, fire safety compliance inspections, life safety construction/systems plans review, assisting with pre-fire incident planning, and coordinating community programs and services.

Fire Inspectors

The fire inspectors are responsible for public fire safety education, fire, arson and explosion investigations, fire safety compliance inspections, life safety construction/systems plans review, assisting with pre-fire incident planning, and coordinating community programs and services.

Training Office

Training Captain

The Training Captain manages the Fire Division's training program with the assistance of three shift training instructors and a training committee.  The office is responsible for scheduling all training, coordinating annual physicals and monitoring results and the development of specifications and procuring all uniforms and personal protective equipment.

Shift Training Instructors

The shift training instructors assist the Training Captain in the development, preparation, and presentation of training classes and drills.  In addition, they assist with the procuring of uniforms and personal protective equipment.

Apparatus Mechanic

The apparatus mechanic is responsible for the preventative maintenance and repair of all apparatus and equipment.