The City of Victoria’s new fire chief brings 30 years of diverse fire and EMS experience to his new role.
Chief George Gamez was selected as the sole finalist for the position of fire chief following an extensive search. His first day on the job will be Feb. 1.
“I am excited to welcome Chief Gamez to the City of Victoria, and I am thankful for the efforts of the executive team, members of the VFD, stakeholders and elected officials who aided in the selection process,” said City Manager Jesús A. Garza. “Our recruitment firm, SGR, identified many qualified candidates, and Chief Gamez easily rose to the top as the best choice for our fire department and our community.”
Gamez has served with Dallas Fire-Rescue since 1993, serving 16 years in the field and 14 years as part of the leadership team in diverse administration roles. During his career in the field, he held the ranks of driver, lieutenant and captain, and he was assigned to stations in South Dallas, which had the highest number of fires and medical emergencies.
Gamez was promoted to the rank of deputy chief in 2012. As deputy chief, he has managed three divisions: EMS, which accounts for 80% of DFR’s run volume; Communications, overseeing the DFR dispatch center and ProQA accreditation; and, most recently, Special Operations and its five disciplines: Aircraft Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, HazMat and Wildland.
“The City of Victoria has a truly incredible fire and EMS program,” Gamez said. “As I was researching this role, I was impressed by the Victoria Fire Department’s adherence to best practices, such as the American Heart Association’s gold standard of care for heart attack patients, as well as the innovative whole blood transfusion program. I am honored to be chosen to lead a department with such a strong commitment to excellence and improvement.”
The Victoria Fire Department will host a private swearing-in ceremony to welcome Gamez to the department.
To learn more about the Victoria Fire Department, visit www.victoriatx.gov/fire.