Wilson to retire as Fire Chief on Aug. 31

The City of Mesquite has announced that Russell "Rusty" Wilson will retire as Fire Chief on Aug. 31. Wilson has served in the position since November 2020.

"I'm honored to have served in Mesquite. I am deeply grateful to the staff of the Mesquite Fire Department," Wilson said. "Their unwavering commitment to safety and service has earned the trust of the community, and I'm confident that the fire department will continue to protect the City with courage and dedication."

"Chief Wilson has helped guide the expansion of the Fire Department to meet the needs of our growing community," said City Manager Cliff Keheley. "I appreciate his dedication to the members of the department and to the community."

Under Wilson's leadership, the Fire Department began construction of Fire Station 2 and began the design and construction process for Fire Station 8 and a new Public Safety Training Facility. Also during his tenure, the Fire Department maintained an Insurance Services Office rating of 1 which is the highest attainable level, hired 77 new firefighters, implemented a peer-to-peer support program for firefighter behavioral health and a health and wellness Initiative to assess firefighters' health and provide cancer prevention/detection, and instituted promotional and swearing-in ceremonies.

While Wilson was chief, the department increased its public fire education for kids with Freddy the Firetruck, deployed Ambulance 6 in full-time service and Ambulance 15 for peak-time service and rolled out an innovative truck-mounted crash barrier called an attenuator into service for firefighters to work on highway incident scenes more safely.

Wilson has more than 35 years of experience in the fire service profession, previously serving in Irving and Katy, Texas. He was appointed in 2019 by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. In 2017, the Texas Fire Chiefs Association presented him the prestigious Texas Fire Chief of the Year Award.

The City Manager has begun the hiring process to replace Chief Wilson and expects to have a new chief named by Oct. 1.