Russell Named Interim Fire Chief

Friday, August 25th, 2023

Mike Russell has been appointed as the Interim Chief of the Dalton Fire Department. Russell's appointment was made at a special called meeting of the Dalton Public Safety Commission on Friday morning. 

Caption: Interim Fire Chief Mike Russell in a file photo from 2019

Russell has been a member of the Dalton Fire Department since 1992, but he has been a firefighter for nearly 40 years beginning as a volunteer with Whitfield County in 1984. Russell was named Dalton's Deputy Fire Chief in March of 2019. 

Russell is replacing Todd Pangle, Dalton's Fire Chief since 2017. Pangle was announced as Dalton's new Assistant City Administrator on Wednesday, a role that he will begin on Monday, August 28th. Russell's appointment as Interim Chief is effective immediately. 

The Public Safety Commission voted unanimously 2-0 in favor of Russell's appointment. Commission member Anthony Walker was not present and Chairman Truman Whitfield typically votes only in the event of a tie. 

A search for a permanent chief for the fire department will begin immediately.