DFD Promotes Second-In-Command

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

The Dalton Fire Department's new second-in-command was officially recognized Tuesday morning by the Public Safety Commission. Keith Dempsey was selected last month to succeed retiring Deputy Chief Mike Russell. Russell's final day on the job was last Friday. 

Dempsey has been a member of the Dalton Fire Department since 2003, joining after his graduation from the University of Georgia and a brief tenure with the Marietta Fire Department. In 2017, he became the coordinator of the training division. He earned promotion to lieutenant in 2018, captain in 2019, and became division chief in charge of training in 2021. Dempsey's list of qualifications is extensive, and includes a master's degree in fire and emergency management administration from Oklahoma State University. 

Caption: Tracie Dempsey pins the deputy chief's badge to her husband Keith Dempsey's uniform Tuesday at the meeting of the Dalton Public Safety Commission

"(Keith) has consistently shown his ability to lead while moving the training division forward according to the vision of the department," Fire Chief Matt Daniel said on Tuesday while presenting Dempsey's promotion before the Public Safety Commission. 

"Your promotion is well earned. We appreciate you being a part of the family since 2003," said longtime Public Safety Commission member Terry Mathis. "You've worked really hard, and we appreciate you." 

"I'd like to say congratulations as well. I appreciate you stepping up," said PSC Chairman Truman Whitfield. "I'm sure you last couple of weeks have been running high speed... we're expecting you to continue doing great things in the future." 

PSC member Lane Jackson, who worked for more than 20 years as a Dalton firefighter, offered his congratulations a bit more succinctly. 

"I'm as proud as punch for you," Jackson said. 

Dempsey's wife Tracie pinned his deputy chief's badge to his uniform Tuesday morning. The couple shares two daughters, Morgan and Harper.