• Sam Allen has been appointed as the new fire chief at Alexandria Fire Department, replacing former chief Larry King
• The City also announced the appointment of an interim chief of police at the Alexandria Police Department, Chad Gremillion
• The recent chief appointments and other new positions mark the completion of leadership changes to address public safety

The City of Alexandria in Louisiana has announced the appointment of Sam Allen as the new fire chief at the Alexandria Fire Department (AFD). With almost 15 years of experience at AFD and traveling across the US to teach fire science curriculum to fire and police personnel, Chief Allen was chosen out of 16 candidates who applied for the position to replace former AFD Chief Larry King, who retired from the department in December 2021.

The selection process had stalled under the previous administration, despite a fire chief being expected to be selected by the Fire and Police Civil Service Board in July 2022. However, the process ramped back up again when current Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy was elected into office during the November Primary election.

Interim Chief of Police

In addition to Chief Allen’s appointment, the City also announced an interim chief of police at the Alexandria Police Department. Interim Chief Chad Gremillion was officially sworn in on April 5, taking over the department for former Chief Ronney Howard, who transitioned into a new role as the Director of Public Safety Special Services. The search for a new APD Chief began on April 6, as Mayor Roy called for the police chief exam to be put out.

The City of Alexandria stated that the recent chief appointments at AFD and APD, along with several new positions, mark the completion of leadership changes to address public safety. At the fire department, Jeff Tarver will remain on staff as the Executive Officer for AFD, while for the police department, Chief Gremillion will also have assistance as Lt. Darrell Bradley was named as the Chief’s Executive Officer and Lillie Evans will return to Assistant Chief.