Dallas picks interim fire chief Justin Ball to be next chief

DALLAS - Justin Ball has been named the 18th chief in the history of Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Ball has served as the department's interim chief since June 2024.

Justin Ball named next chief of Dallas Fire-Rescue

What we know:

Ball was chosen from 32 candidates who applied for the position.

The list was narrowed down to four candidates who took part in a series of meet and greets with the community.

Ball, who is originally from northeast England, joined Dallas Fire-Rescue in 1997 and moved up from a firefighter paramedic to his current position.

What they're saying:

"It’s an incredible honor to have been selected as the permanent Chief to lead the brave men and women with whom I have the pleasure of working with each day," said Chief Justin Ball. "I look forward to building on our positive momentum, focusing on the safety and wellness of our members, and continuing to deliver the best service to this community." 

"Chief Ball has a demonstrated track record of strong leadership. He has brought fresh ideas to solve problems and seized on innovative opportunities to take this internationally recognized department to the next level," said Dallas City Manager, Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. "I appreciate his contribution to keeping Dallas at the top of the leaderboard as one of the safest large cities in the country, and his dedication to the DFR team." 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX LOCAL APP TODAY

"In my time as mayor, Chief Ball has also been integral to our city's life-safety responses to major incidents, and I have seen him emerge as an adept leader from our shared time in our Emergency Operations Center during some very challenging times for Dallas," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. "I am confident that Chief Ball is ready to lead this critical department and shares my commitment to the safety of Dallas residents."

What's next:

Ball will officially take over the role as fire chief effective April 23, 2025.

He will oversee a $430 million budget and lead the approximately 2,200 men and women of Dallas Fire-Rescue.