A former top fire official from Prince George's, Alexandria, chosen to lead the Montgomery Co. Fire Department.

Lina PortmanMay 30, 2024

0 1 minute read

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has named Corey Smedley to lead the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department.

Corey Smedley, former Prince George's County Deputy Fire Chief and former Alexandria City Fire Chief. (Courtesy of Montgomery County/Simone Forgione)

A former top fire official in Prince George's County, Maryland, and the city of Alexandria, Virginia, is the choice to be the next fire chief of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich named Corey Smedley to lead the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department after his last choice was abruptly removed from consideration earlier this year.

Smedley would bring more than 33 years of fire service experience, which followed his tenure in the Army Reserve. He rose through the ranks of the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Services Department to become Deputy Fire Chief before joining the Alexandria Fire Department in 2015 as Deputy Chief of Homeland Security and of emergency management.

He then took on the role of fire chief in Alexandria, where he “prioritized community engagement, building strong partnerships and aligning community expectations with department priorities,” according to a press release from Montgomery County.

Smedley's appointment will be officially announced at a press conference Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Fire State 32 in Rockville.

Elrich's latest nominee, MCFRS Division Chief Charles Bailey, had his name removed from consideration in March, days after a county inspector general report found that a top member unidentified MCFRS placement had engaged in misconduct in 2019 and 2021.

Elrich, Smedley and interim Montgomery County Fire Chief Gary Cooper will all be on hand for Thursday's announcement.

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