(Washington, DC) Adrian H. Thompson was confirmed by the DC City Council today as the permanent Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Thompson was named acting chief by Mayor Anthony Williams in November of 2002. Thompson’s rise to the top job in the Fire & EMS Department culminates a 33-year career that began as a DC firefighter in 1970.
“The council’s action today reaffirms my decision that Chief Thompson is the right person to move the Fire & EMS Department forward,” said Mayor Williams. “He has my full support, and, as evidenced by today’s vote, the support of our city council.”
A life-long District resident, Thompson, 53, rose through the ranks to his current position. Thompson includes among his priorities the strengthening of the EMS division.
“The changing nature of the health care industry means we have to be innovative and resourceful in delivering pre-hospital care,” said Chief Thompson. “Initiatives to reduce response times and enhance the quality of our care are already in development.”
Thompson stresses an effort to bring pay and benefit parity to EMS providers will be high on his priority list.
“Our first responders are among the finest in the world,” said Thompson. “I am honored to have been chosen to serve them, our citizens and the millions of visitors who come to the nation’s capital each year.”