Chief Charles E. Moreland
Rescue Division
Charles E. Moreland joined the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Dec. 17, 1990. Assigned to the hazardous materials team, Moreland spent more than 12 years in Rescue at Station 7. He rose quickly through the ranks. Promoted to engineer in 1995 and lieutenant in 1999, he continued at Rescue 7. Moreland transferred to Station 32 shortly after being promoted to captain in 2002.
On July 28, 2003, Mayor John Peyton appointed Moreland as Chief of the Rescue Division.
Two incidents stand out in Moreland's career: Pulling a child out of a fully engulfed house in 2000 and saving another from a pool in 2002. He received commendations for both, and both children have come by to visit. Moreland said he can still see the man's face who told him there were children in the burning house.
Moreland has kept busy during his JFRD career, furthering his education. The 1989 graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts earned two Associate of Arts degrees from Florida Community College at Jacksonville in 2000, one in emergency medical service management and one in nursing. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2003 from Edward Waters College and a Master of Arts in fire science from Almeda University in 2003. He earned a second masters, this one in public administration, from Nova Southeastern University in June 2006.
As chief of the Rescue Division, Moreland leads a command of more than 200 personnel.