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Powers, who has served as chief of the department for six years, will retire on June 30, 2025.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After nearly 30 years with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Chief Keith Powers will retire from his post at the end of June, city officials announced Thursday.
Powers, who has served as chief of the department for six years, will retire on June 30, 2025.
City officials said Powers will continue to serve as a mentor and resource as the city works to appoint the next JFRD chief.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent the brave men and women who put their lives on the line each day and serve our community, both on and off duty,” said Powers. “They are the reason that JFRD is the best fire department in the country. I will be forever grateful for their courage and dedication to Jacksonville. I also want to thank Mayor Deegan for the opportunity to continue serving and for her always strong commitment to public safety.”
In early 2025, city officials said that Powers approached the Deegan administration to begin discussing a transition to the next successor. JFRD and the administration established a succession plan and mentorship program in 2023 to ensure the department has a list of possible candidates to lead in the future.
“Chief Powers has served the City of Jacksonville with honor and distinction. Beyond the daily routine of keeping our citizens safe, we have been a state and national leader under his watch,” said Mayor Donna Deegan. “From Mobile Stroke and Critical Care Units to Emergency Road Access Teams during storms to a high school athlete training scholarship program, these firsts for JFRD are testaments to the innovation that occurred during his time as Chief. I thank him for his many decades of service to the city and deep love for the department.”
The next fire chief will be selected through an open selection process over the next six weeks, officials said. The appointment will begin July 1, 2025.
The City of Jacksonville and JFRD will provide additional information in the coming weeks about the process for candidates to submit applications as the transition begins.
