(Washington, DC) The Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously today to confirm the appointment of Dennis L. Rubin as Chief of the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Chief Rubin said that he “was both pleased and honored” to learn of the council’s decision. A native Washingtonian, Chief Rubin began his career as a District firefighter at age 21. Thirty-four-years later, Rubin said, “I am now ready to lead our agency through a critical period of improvement. I will work hard to raise the bar in every aspect, making this a department that all of our citizens will be proud of.”

Prior to today’s vote, councilmember Phil Mendelson, who heads the public safety and judiciary committee, said the three recent, major fires in the District, “underscore the importance of moving quickly on this appointment.”

Rubin now heads a department with more than 2,000 employees and an annual operating budget in excess of $170 million. Rubin’s duties also include directing the Task Force on Emergency Medical Services, which Mayor Adrian M. Fenty created as part of the District’s settlement with the family of slain New York Times journalist David E. Rosenbaum. The task force is to issue a report with recommendations for improving the agency's delivery of emergency medical services.

Mayor Fenty appointed Rubin Acting Chief in March, following the retirement of Chief Adrian Thompson. Rubin, 54, served as Chief of the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department for ;three years. He has also led fire departments in Norfolk, Virginia, and Dothan, Alabama, and worked in Fairfax County and Chesterfield, Virginia.

As an instructor and lecturer, Chief Rubin has written extensively on firefighting and is author of “Rube’s Rules of Fire Fighter Survival.” The father of three and grandfather earned his Associate Degree in Fire Science from Northern Virginia Community College and Bachelor's in Fire Administration from the University of Maryland.