LAWTON – A 22-year veteran of the Lawton Fire Department has been tapped to lead the department.
Elgin native Jared Williams was named the new fire chief Tuesday, Lawton City Manager Michael Cleghorn’s office announced.
“We went through this extensive process to ensure our citizens that the best fire chief was selected for them,” Cleghorn said. “The Lawton Fire Department has benefited tremendously from having Chief Williams for over two decades. His expertise as a firefighter and as a leader has gotten him to where he is today.”
Williams joined the Lawton Fire Department in 2000 after serving in the Elgin Fire Department along with his father. In 2008, he was promoted to assistant training officer. The following year he became a training officer. He was promoted to assistant fire chief in 2019.
Williams has an extensive background in incident command, rescue and hazmat, the press release stated. He also serves as a field instructor for the Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training program, where he teaches fire, hazmat, National Incident Management System and rescue programs.
In 2012, Fire Service Instructors of Oklahoma honored Williams as Instructor of the Year.
Williams graduated from Elgin High School and attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he played football and studied health and physical education. He earned an associate degree in fire technology from Western Oklahoma State College.
Before the selection, Williams and the other candidates interviewed with a panel made up of four fire chiefs from across the state, including Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City and Moore. Following the interview, the panel recommended hiring Williams as the new chief, and Cleghorn accepted the recommendation.
“To be selected to lead the department, serve the citizens and be entrusted by the city manager and the citizens is extremely humbling,” Williams said.
“Firefighting takes every one of us,” he continued. “The fire chief is no more important than anyone else in the department. My job is to support them, support the citizens and keep pushing the mission forward so firefighters can do their job.”
Managing the department’s budget, workforce and equipment, Williams reports to the city manager’s office.
Williams’ pinning ceremony is set for 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Lawton City Hall Banquet Hall.