Forsyth Fire Chief Retires After 50 Years, Interim Chief Named

FORSYTH, GA – County Manager Eric Johnson has appointed Division Chief Barry Head to serve as interim fire chief effective Oct. 17, following the retirement of Fire Chief Danny Bowman. Bowman is retiring Oct. 16, after 50 years in fire services. Bowman has been with Forsyth County since 2001.

Bowman joined the Forsyth County Fire Department as division fire chief in 2001, and was promoted to assistant fire chief and EMA director in 2002. He has served as chief of department since July 2003. Starting his career as a firefighter for the Atlanta Fire Department in 1968, Bowman worked his way up the ranks, eventually serving in the chief administrator capacity for the newly formed Fulton County Fire Department and later as the deputy fire chief, interim fire chief and battalion chief for Fulton County. He is active in the community and fire services industry, previously holding the position of president for both the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs and the Metropolitan Atlanta Area Fire Chiefs Association. He also served on the Thompson Group, a Washington, D.C. advisory panel for the Fair Labor and Standards Act.

Division Chief Barry Head

Chief Head has protected Forsyth County for over 25 years. He began his service in 1990 as a
dispatcher in the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. While there, he was promoted three times, achieving
the rank of sergeant. In 1997, he transferred to the Fire Department as a fire inspector.
In 1999, Head moved from fire inspector to fire fighter, a position he held for approximately two years.
In 2001 he was promoted to fire lieutenant and in 2012 to division chief, fire marshal. He has been in
his current position of division chief, field operation since 2017.

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As division chief, field operations, Head is directly responsible for the daily field operations of the
department and supervision of the six battalion chiefs. In addition, all fire station operations and
emergency response are under his command.

Over the past 28 years, Head took advantage of numerous training opportunities, earning certification
in over 20 areas ranging from fire investigation to responding to terrorism. In addition to tactical and
situational training, he also received certification in management development from the University of
Georgia.

“Chief Head has been a great asset to the Forsyth County Fire Department,” said Johnson. “He is a
qualified leader and is well respected both within and outside the department. Our residents can be
assured that Chief Head will continue the excellent job our Fire Department does in providing life-saving
services to our community.”

Photos courtesy Forsyth County Fire Department