Chief Joseph Pozzo, M.P.A., CFOD, SHRM-CP, Senior Manager for Fire and EMS

Senior Manager for Fire and EMS

Retired Fire Chief
Former
Director of Public Protection for Volusia County, Florida
Former Assistant Director of Human Resources, Volusia County, Florida
Former Deputy Director, Volusia County Department of Public Protection
Former Director and Fire Chief, Volusia County, Florida
Former Fire Chief, Loudon County, Virginia
Former Fire Chief, Portsmouth, Virginia

Chief Pozzo has a forty (40) year career in public service, and most recently served as the Director of Public Protection for Volusia County, Florida where he provided executive leadership to the Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, Corrections, Animal Control, and Beach Safety divisions. The Public Protection Department is the largest department in Volusia County and includes 945+ employees, an EMS Division that handles over 50,000 transports per year and utilizes Florida’s first ever Nurse Triage system in the 911 Center, an all-hazards Emergency Management Division that specializes in coastal storm preparation and response, and a Fire Division that responds to 23,00- calls/year utilizing ALS staffed apparatus.

From March 2015 to September of 2018, he served as the Assistant Director of Human Resources for Volusia County, Florida (3,200 employees), where he managed the employee relations, benefits administration, and occupational health services functions and teams, as well as assist in the management and negotiation of six collective bargaining agreements/units. Chief Pozzo was also involved in developing and implementing the County’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative.

Chief Pozzo has also served as the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Protection Volusia County, Florida, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, Beach Safety, Corrections, and Animal Services. He was formerly Fire Chief of Volusia County Fire Services, where he developed and implemented a service model designed to introduce EMS transport into the agency, incorporate fleet efficiencies, and enhance the wild land/urban interface efforts.

Prior to Chief Pozzo’s appointment in Volusia County in 2010, he served as the Chief of the Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue. This agency is a combination fire and rescue system providing fire, rescue, and emergency management services in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The fire and rescue system during Chief Pozzo’s tenure provided these services to over 275,000 permanent residents living in 520 square miles of diverse suburban and rural area located within the National Capital Region. Services were executed through 450+ career staff 1400+ volunteer members operating out of 19 stations.

Prior to his appointment with Loudoun County, Chief Pozzo served as Chief of the Portsmouth Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Department. This agency is one of the oldest professional departments on the eastern seaboard and served over 100,000 residents during Chief Pozzo’s tenure. Chief Pozzo also served in the City of Virginia Beach, Va. Fire Department for 19 years reaching the level of Deputy Fire Marshal and then Battalion Chief prior to embarking on his career as a Fire Chief/Director.

Joe holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University, a B.A. in Public Administration from Saint Leo University, and numerous public safety technical certifications. He holds the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and is a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).