Career Fire Chief of the Year: Alan J. Martin

The impact Chief Alan J. Martin has had on the fire service in Alabama is both deep and wide. A 40-year veteran of the fire service, Martin began his career in 1974 with the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service. There, he served in positions of increasing responsibility, including four different assistant-chief positions, until 2002 when he was appointed as fire chief of the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service (TFRS).

During his tenure, Chief Martin has led a transformation of TFRS to become an excellent, progressive fire department that operates optimally as a result of structural and operational changes. For his outstanding leadership, in 2013, Chief Martin was named Fire Chief of the Year by both the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs and the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs.

Throughout his career in the Alabama fire service, Chief Martin has spearheaded a number of outstanding fire service related programs, including “Get Alarmed! Tuscaloosa,” a smoke alarms installation program. He was also instrumental in the recent rollout by the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs of the statewide fire-prevention campaign, “Turn Your Attention to Fire Prevention.”

During his career, Chief Martin has also furthered his own education and participated in a variety of community organizations unrelated to the fire service, including Habitat for Humanity and Leadership Tuscaloosa Board.