Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Homewood Fire Chief Brandon Broadhead outside Fire Station No. 1. Broadhead is Homewood’s sixth fire chief.
Homewood’s new fire chief is working to settle into his new role and looking forward to making a difference within the department.
Chief Brandon Broadhead was named to the position recently, after Chief Nick Hill retired.
Broadhead brings 20 years of experience within Homewood Fire Department, where he most recently served as deputy chief.
“I have always wanted to be the person that is able to help,” Broadhead said. “Now I am in charge of a fantastic group of firefighters that want to do the same thing. Watching them make a difference in someone’s life brings joy to my life.
My goal is to make someone’s worst day better, by answering the call. Homewood makes this possible by the support they provide for our department everyday.”
Broadhead began his fire service career at the age of 14, when he joined the Boy Scouts Fire Explorer Program in Montevallo. When he graduated high school, he became an EMT and went to work for Regional Paramedics, which is what led him to eventually work in Homewood, according to information provided by the city.
After completing paramedic school, long-time Chief John Bresnan gave Broadhead a job, which was unheard of at the time since they did not hire untrained firefighters, according to the city.
Broadhead was hired in 2008 and never left Homewood.
He completed both paramedic and firefighter training, then started his journey through various positions in administration.
“Homewood has that small-town feel while being large enough to have big city services,” Broadhead said. “I have been a part of HFD for a little over 16 years, so there was not much of a learning curve to becoming fire chief. Things are moving quickly as I prepare to implement plans I presented to the mayor during the interview process and fill the vacant positions on my team.”
As Broadhead settles into his new role, he hopes to work with key stakeholders to implement plans that will increase efficiency both for the firefighters and the citizens of Homewood.
“I plan to ensure HFD is reachable from the public. We have started a social media campaign to help the community become familiar with our members,” Broadhead said. “I believe it is important to know your first responders before you ever call 911. I am also working with our neighboring Over the Mountain departments to provide mutual aid staffing during large events. These events require large numbers of first responders and rarely happen to multiple communities at the same time. By partnering with our neighbors, we can provide that surge capacity we need while still maintaining a responsible fiscal budget.”
One thing Broadhead enjoys is driving the town’s official 1927 American LaFrance fire truck, which is the first truck the department ever had, according to information provided by the city.
Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Brandon Broadhead Broadhead is Homewood’s sixth fire chief.
It took roughly 10 years to refurbish and now makes appearances at special events, sometimes with Broadhead behind the wheel.
The city said a small group of firefighters regularly maintains the truck.
A current challenge facing the department is recruitment for a job in public safety.
“The shift in generational ideas have driven a change in the way we recruit,” Broadhead said. “We are trying to appeal to the side of people that are looking for a calling and not just a job.”
Broadhead said he believes in the inverted pyramid style of leadership.
“It is my job to ensure my senior officers are equipped and have the resources they need to serve their firefighters,” Broadhead said. “In return, our firefighters will better serve our customers. Our customers, the citizens, are the reason we exist and deserve the highest level of service possible.”
Broadhead said even though Homewood is the second most densely populated city in Alabama, it is the residents that make it feel like a small town.
“The amount of support the citizens have shown to HFD over the years makes each and every firefighter truly feel like part of the community,” Broadhead said. “HFD are problem solvers. When you have an issue and you are not sure who to call, call us and even if we can’t solve your issue, we will help you find someone that can.”
Broadhead is the father of three girls and his wife, Amber, is a teacher at Edgewood Elementary School.
