Marie Harrell currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Health and Safety for Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Deputy Chief Harrell has served the department since 1992, rising through the ranks up to Captain. Deputy Chief Harrell was appointed the EMS Coordinator in 2005. In 2012, she was appointed Division Chief of Administrative Services. In December 2020, she was appointed to Deputy Chief of Health and Safety.

Deputy Chief Marie Harrell is a certified Paramedic and oversees the administrative and compliance areas of EMS Operations. She was appointed the departments Accreditation Manager in 2017. Deputy Chief Harrell is the department grant writer, seeking and applying for grants to improve equipment and service delivery. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Columbus State University in 1988, and a master’s degree in public safety administration from Columbus State University in 2017. She has obtained Chief Fire Officer and Chief EMS Officer credentialing through the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Daniel Hord currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Resource Management for Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Deputy Chief Hord has served the department since 2004, rising to the permanent rank of Battalion Chief. In 2020, he was appointed to Deputy Chief of Operations. In March of 2022, Chief Hord was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Resource Management.

Deputy Chief Daniel Hord has obtained the certifications of NREMT Paramedic, Rescue Technician, Hazmat Technician and Public Safety Diver. He has a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters Degree in Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University. He is a credentialed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) with the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Daniel S. Macon currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Operations for Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Deputy Chief D. Macon has served the department since 2002, rising through the ranks up to Battalion Chief. In 2018, he was appointed to Division Chief of Training Division. In December of 2020, Chief Macon was appointed to the rank of Deputy Chief of Training Division and in 2022, he was transferred to the Deputy Chief of Operations.

Deputy Chief Daniel Macon has obtained the certifications of Paramedic, Rescue Technician, Hazmat Technician, and Public Safety Dive Instructor through National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) International. He also oversees the departments special operations teams and is one of four task force leaders for the Georgia Search and Rescue Task Force 9. He has an Associate Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Education, and a Masters Degree in Management and Leadership from Troy University. He is a credentialed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) with the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Brian Nobles currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Training for Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Deputy Chief Nobles has served the department since 2004. In 2021, Chief Nobles was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Training.

Deputy Chief Nobles has obtained certifications of EMT-I, Hazmat Technician, and Rescue Technician. He has an associate degree in Fire Science for West Georgia Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Administration from Columbia Southern University. Deputy Chief Nobles oversees all the training in the department. This includes cadet training, continuing education training, EMS training, and driver training.

Ricky Shores is the Deputy Chief of the Community Risk Reduction Division. He specializes in analyzing various community risks within the jurisdiction. This division works with community stakeholders to craft effective mitigation strategies and tactics for various risk factors effecting the community.

Chief Shores began his career in public safety as a patrol officer with the Columbus Police Department in 1995. He then joined the fire department in 1997 serving as a firefighter-hazmat technician before being promoted through the ranks to captain. He began serving as the Division Chief/Fire Marshal in 2011 and was promoted to his current position and Deputy Chief in 2020.

Chief Shores obtained a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in 1994 and graduated from Columbus State University in 2016 with a master’s degree in Public Safety Administration. He is a Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training certified Law Enforcement Officer and Center for Public Safety Excellence designated Chief Fire Officer.

John Shull currently serves as the Fire Marshal/ Division Chief for the Columbus Department of Fire and EMS. He has held this position since April 2021 and has served since 1999. He is also the Public Information Officer for the department. Division Chief Shull served in numerous station assignments as he rose through the ranks to include 3 years in the Logistics Division. He is a licensed paramedic and certified as a fire inspector.

Division Chief Shull received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Troy University and a Master of Science from Grand Canyon University in Leadership: Emphasis in Disaster Preparedness and Fire Executive Leadership. Shull earned credentials through the Center for Public Safety Excellence as a Chief Fire Officer in 2022.

Timothy A. Smith currently serves as the Assistant Fire Chief for Columbus Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Chief Smith has served the department since 1988, rising through the ranks up to Battalion Chief. In 2009, he was appointed to Division Chief of Training Division. In September of 2018, Chief Smith was appointed to the rank of Deputy Chief of Operations and in 2022, he was appointed to his current position as Assistant Fire Chief.

Chief Smith obtained the certifications of EMT-I, Rescue Technician, Hazmat Technician, and Public Safety Diver through National Association of Underwater International (NAUI), and Georgia POST certified Instructor. He also serves on the department’s special operations team as one of four task force leaders for the Georgia Search and Rescue Task Force 9. He has an associate degree in fire science from CVCC, a bachelor’s degree from Troy State University. He is a credentialed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) with the Center for Public Safety Excellence and the Georgia Fire Chiefs Association.