Nashville Mayor David Briley on Wednesday announced he's promoted William Swann to be new director chief of the Nashville Fire Department, becoming the first African-American to hold the leadership post.
Swann, a 22-year veteran of the department who has served as interim fire chief for 11 months, replaces Ricky White, who retired as director chief in 2017 after serving in the job for just one year. White had also been the interim chief.
Swann was previously the city's first African-American deputy fire director. He's held multiple other roles as he's risen in rank within the department: firefighter, training academy instructor and director of the Office of Emergency Management.
“I have had an opportunity to work closely with Chief Swann over the last six months and he has proven he’s the right person for the job," Briley said in a statement