Austell Fire Chief Pat Maxwell will retire on Dec. 31, and the city’s Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Merritt will become the next chief on Jan. 1.
Maxwell was thanked by Austell Mayor Ollie Clemons and the City Council on Dec. 2 when Maxwell was given a plaque.
Merritt has been with Austell for 23 years and has been the city’s assistant fire chief since June 2015.
Growing up in the South Cobb area, Merritt began his career as a volunteer firefighter with Paulding County in 1995.
Then Merritt was hired by the Austell Fire Department in 1996, marrying his wife Stacy the same year.
They have three children.
Since 1996, Merritt has served the city as a firefighter, lieutenant, training officer and captain before becoming assistant fire chief in 2015.
Maxwell also began his career in the mid 1980s as a volunteer firefighter for the Paulding County Fire Department, becoming chief of Station 5.
In 1987, Maxwell began his career with the Austell Fire Department as a part-time firefighter.
By 1990, he earned a full-time position.
Maxwell spent 10 years working his way up through the positions of firefighter, lieutenant and captain before being appointed as assistant fire chief in 1997.
He remained assistant fire chief until 2015 when he was appointed as fire chief.
For the fire department, Maxwell also served as an arson investigator, an inspector, in code enforcement and a fire marshall.
Married for 38 years, he and his wife have three children, including a daughter who also is a certified firefighter.
Maxwell currently oversees the daily administrative duties of the Fire Department as well as the Fire Marshall’s office.
Information: AustellGa.gov
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