The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), named Ernest Mitchell, Jr. an Honorary Member of the Metro.
Chief Mitchell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administrator for the U.S. Fire Administration, is the third person to have received this prestigious honor in the Metro’s 51-year history. Metro President Rhoda Mae Kerr, Fire Chief for the Austin Fire Department, in consultation with the Executive Board, selected Mitchell for this honor at a recent Metro meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
According to the Metro Executive Board, Mitchell was named Honorary Metro Chief for his “exceptional leadership in the areas of fire prevention, fire suppression and related disciplines throughout his career.” Prior to his appointment as Fire Administrator, Mitchell retired as Fire Chief and Assistant Director of Disaster Emergency Services for the City of Pasadena, California Fire Department after 33 years in the fire service. During his last year in Pasadena, Mitchell was President of the IAFC where he continued until the completion of his term. Before becoming Fire Chief in Pasadena, Mitchell served as Fire Chief and Deputy City Manager in the City of Monrovia, California for seven years.