Corey Smedley has been approved as the new fire chief for Montgomery County. He is the county’s first Black fire chief.
The County Council confirmed him to the position during a meeting Tuesday.
Smedley’s experience comes from outside the county — he was previously Fire Chief for Alexandria in Virginia, retiring from the position in January this year. He was also previously Deputy Fire Chief for Prince George’s County.
Councilmember Sidney Katz congratulated Smedley on Tuesday: “I know that Chief Smedley will continue to bring strong leadership and skills to our county.”
It has been more than a year since former Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) Chief Scott Goldstein retired from his position and moved to the West Coast for a fire chief position in Washington state.
County Executive Marc Elrich announced Smedley’s nomination in May. Elrich previously nominated Charles Bailey, Division Chief within the county’s fire department. In March Elrich withdrew the nomination stating there was not enough support among the County Council to move forward.
When his nomination was announced in May, Smedley said that, if confirmed to the position, “I will never let you down.”
