Former Charlottesville Fire Chief removed from Florida post

A man who served as Charlottesville’s fire chief for less than two years before taking a job in central Florida has now resigned from that position.

Hezedean Smith was the top official at the Charlottesville Fire Department from December 2020 until the fall of 2022 when he took a position as the fire chief of Polk County, Florida. That’s a community of over 750,000 that includes the communities of Winter Haven and Lakeland. 

Smith resigned in September following a report that was critical of his management. County Manager Bill Beasley placed Smith on administrative leave and his departure was not voluntary. A firm was hired in February to conduct a review of the department.

“I take the challenges and frustrations expressed by members of our fire rescue division to heart and want to assure our employees that Polk County wants to create a high-performing, highly valued culture within the Fire Rescue operation,” Beasley said in a press release. “Our focus is to immediately consider necessary changes to achieve that goal.”

Before coming to Charlottesville, Smith had worked for the fire department in Orlando. Interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers elevated deputy chief Michael Thomas to serve as interim chief in October 2022. City Manager Sam Sanders promoted Thomas to permanent chief last August. 

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