Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton has appointed Bret Stidham, a 30-year professional firefighter with Dallas Fire-Rescue, as the city's new fire chief and director of emergency management.
Stidham has served as second-in-command with Dallas Fire-Rescue since 2019 and was assistant fire chief of emergency operations and special operations there for two years prior.
On Aug. 7, Stidham will begin leading Arlington's 399-person Fire Department and 113-person 911 Dispatch Center.
Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Ingols will continue to serve as the department's interim fire chief until then.
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Following Fire Chief Don Crowson's announcement that he was retiring after a 40-year career, nearly 50 public safety professionals from across the country applied for the role.
Earlier in June, Stidham and four other fire chief candidates engaged in a series of panel interviews that included a diverse group of the city's executive leadership team, Arlington Professional Fire Fighters Association representatives, and business leaders.
"Chief Stidham stood out in a very robust selection process and everyone we spoke with who had the chance to work with him in the City of Dallas had nothing but glowing remarks about his leadership, skills and ability to collaborate," Yelverton said.
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Stidham said he is looking forward to beginning his career in Arlington, which is home to nearly 400,000 residents and draws more than 14 million visitors each year.
"I feel like my 30-year career has led me to this moment. There's a lot going on in Arlington - it's a destination city and a city on the grow," said Stidham, who said he grew up in North Texas and has visited Arlington for Rangers and Cowboys games, days at Six Flags Over Texas and other activities throughout his life. "This is a fire chief's dream job, to be honest."
