Birmingham Fire and Rescue Chief Charles Gordon set to retire
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Chief Charles Gordon, 57, will retire from the City of Birmingham on Dec. 28. However, his last day in the office will be Nov. 20.
“I’ve been able to serve in every capacity with the fire department, from firefighter to fire chief,’’ he said. “My time here has been a labor of love.’’
“I’m a Birmingham native and being able to work here just shows the opportunity the city offers,” he added. “One of the first things I’ll do when I retire is celebrate 28 years of marriage with my wife, Regenia Gordon, and spend more time with our 9-month-old granddaughter, Copeland Michelle Gordon.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin said Gordon was a thorough, fair and great leader.
“He’s not a talker. He’s a doer,’’ Mayor Woodfin said. “He has the respect of Birmingham Fire and Rescue. I credit the morale of his department to his leadership. I will personally miss him.”
Chief Gordon joined the fire department on Jan. 3, 1989. He became fire chief on Sept. 3, 2014.
As chief, he worked to create an atmosphere where people wanted to come to work, he said.
“One of my goals was to empower personnel and give them the freedom to bring ideas forward,’’ Chief Gordon said. “What I always said was, ‘If it made sense, let’s see if we can do it.’ ’’
Under his leadership, Birmingham Fire and Rescue:
- Rebuilt the department’s training tower in Five Points West
- Completed construction of fire station No. 8 in Kingston
- Improved the department’s safety equipment for employees
- Started a Career Tech program with Birmingham City Schools to give students an early exposure to the fire service
- Increased involvement in the community through charitable giving, participating in events, etc. “People call on us and they know we are going to be there,’’ Chief Gordon said.
- Started a para-medicine program for residents to serve those lacking access to health care
- Secured an Insurance Service Organization Class 2 rating for the department in November 2017
