Sugar Land Fire Chief Announces Retirement

SUGAR LAND, TX - Sugar Land Fire Chief Juan Adame announced this week that he will officially retire January 2019. Adame joined the Sugar Land Fire Department in April 2009 and was appointed the permanent fire chief in November 2010.

His accomplishments have been extensive, including the following items that ensured Sugar Land remains safer than ever before:

• Ambulance service was launched after years of rapid growth in Sugar Land necessitated a change in EMS delivery. The service improved advanced life support service for Sugar Land residents.
• A patient care reporting system was created to ensure local hospitals have access to information prior to the arrival of patients.
• Two new fire stations were constructed and staffed that built on a network of assets that provide flexibility, speed and efficiency in fire and medical response.
• Improved EMS services were provided for the newly annexed communities of Greatwood and New Territory.
• The completion of a departmental assessment by industry experts confirmed that the city has a highly skilled and progressive department. The review focused on the deployment of resources, organizational structure, performance measures, community hazard inventory and other areas to ensure that Sugar Land remains one of the safest cities in the country.
• A new mobile command center was placed in service to meet the needs of public safety response in Sugar Land. The command center has been used at fires, SWAT scenes, major accidents, chemical spills, train derailments and more.

Prior to joining SLFD-EMS, Adame spent more than 20 total years as a fire chief for the cities of Corpus Christi and Austin.

"Chief Adame has been a valuable member of our leadership team, and he'll be sorely missed," said Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard. "We have some big shoes to fill, but I'm confident that previous work to develop internal candidates will ensure a smooth transition. Our city has a track record of consistently developing and internally promoting employees who are ready to take on critically important leadership roles."

Adame and Assistant City Manager Doug Brinkley developed a process to evaluate internal candidates for the fire chief position.

Four employees recently rotated through interim fire chief assignments, a process that provided an opportunity to demonstrate their management and leadership abilities.

The process also ensured other employees were able to serve in leadership positions that provided new professional growth experiences.

Internal applications will be accepted through Oct. 15 and reviewed by a panel of executive leaders prior to consideration by city management.

Candidates will be evaluated based on leadership style, their ability to develop and implement a plan for community engagement, effectively work with their peers and direct reports and function as a part of the city's leadership team. The selection of a new fire chief is expected in November.

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Image: City of Sugar Land

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