Findley appointed Smith County Fire Marshal

SMITH COUNTY – The Smith County Commissioners Court on Wednesday approved the appointment of Tyler Fire Marshal Paul Findley to become the Smith County Fire Marshal.

Our news partners at KETK report his appointment is effective on July 10, County Judge Neal Franklin said. Findley received unanimous support from the commissioner’s court.

Findley works for the Tyler Fire Department as Fire Marshal and Public Information Officer. He has spent 26 years in the fire service and earned certifications as a Master Firefighter, Master Fire Inspector, Master Arson Investigator and Fire Instructor with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

He is also licensed as a Master Peace Officer with more than 16 years in law enforcement and has maintained his paramedic license in the mid 1990s.

Findley is a member of several organizations, including:

Texas Fire Chief’s Association
International Fire Chiefs Association
Texas Advisory Council on Arson
Texas Fire Marshals Association
Municipal Fire Marshal Committee
Professional Trades Committee

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Findley has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master of science with an emphasis in disaster preparedness and executive fire leadership. He is a graduate of the Texas Fire Chief’s Academy, earning the Chief Fire Executive designation.

The position of Smith County Fire Marshal opened up in September 2022 when former Fire Marshal Jay Brooks submitted his resignation to the commissioners court.