After more than a year without a permanent leader, DeKalb County has a new fire chief.
Interim Chief Eddie O’Brien, a 25-year veteran and DeKalb native, was named chief on Monday.
He joins his older brother, William O’Brien, who was named DeKalb Police chief last year. Their younger brother is a deputy fire chief in Newton County.
“Being brothers, it has to be a first of a kind,” Eddie O'Brien said. “It shows the cooperation between departments. It sure does make it easier because I’m not just calling the police chief, I’m calling my brother.”
The fire chief takes over as the county struggles to cut $33.6 million from this year's budget, including $7 million from the fire department budget. The current proposal calls for laying off paramedics and privatizing ambulance service.
“Right now our biggest goal is getting through this budget," he said. "It’s the only focus we have right now.”
O’Brien, who graduated from DeKalb’s Redan High School, will oversee 900 employees and 26 fire stations.
During his tenure, O’Brien has served on the department’s dive team and hazardous materials crew. He also helped start the department’s technical rescue team, which does disaster work, sending teams to events such as Hurricane Katrina.
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