Orlando Fire Chief Jason Revoldt is stepping away from the top job effective immediately, ending roughly 24 years with the Orlando Fire Department and handing the reins to Executive Deputy Chief Shannon Teamer while city leaders sort out a long-term plan.
Department employees were notified Tuesday that Revoldt had submitted his retirement, according to WFTV. In a message quoted by the station, officials thanked him "for his leadership and his 24 years of service to our community." The outlet reported there was no immediate explanation offered for his sudden departure.
Transition at the top
For now, the day-to-day operation of the department is in Teamer's hands. Executive Deputy Chief Teamer was tapped to manage operations during the transition while the city figures out who will permanently lead the agency.
As detailed by the City of Orlando, Revoldt rose through the department's ranks over more than two decades and was sworn in earlier this year as Orlando's 22nd fire chief.
Revoldt's record
Over the course of his career, Revoldt worked in operations, fire prevention, and the Arson & Bomb Squad, and he helped oversee life-safety initiatives along with station construction projects. Firehouse reported that he had previously served as interim chief before being sworn in as the city's 22nd fire chief and noted his background as a law-enforcement-certified arson investigator.
Leadership churn complicates department stability
Revoldt's abrupt exit lands in the middle of a stretch of revolving-door leadership at OFD. Local coverage last year pointed out that he would be the fourth person to hold the chief's job in only a few years. WFTV reported in October that his appointment made him the fourth chief in six years and noted past accreditation and leadership challenges the department has been working to address.
What happens next
City records list the Orlando Fire Department headquarters at 78 W. Central Blvd., with Teamer serving as executive deputy chief. For now, Teamer will keep the department running while city officials weigh their options and decide on a longer-term leadership plan.
