New Leadership for the Kilgore College Fire Academy

KILGORE – With the approval of the school’s trustees, there will be a new director of the Kilgore College Fire Academy. Trustees are being asked to name Michael D Simmons to the post. He would replace Ronnie Gothard who retired at the end of May after serving as the director of the Fire Academy for more than 10 years. Simmons is currently the Assistant Chief of Operations at the Kilgore Fire Department, a position he has held since 2012. He also serves as coordinator of the City of Kilgore Emergency Management and is on the board of directors of the Texas Association of Fire Educators. Simmons will become full-time at the college in November, but is scheduled to be on campus each week until then to oversee the academy.

Simmons served as a firefighter/paramedic for the city of Garland from 1997-2010 and was a training specialist for the city of Garland from 2010-12. He has also served since 2002 as training captain for the North Texas Fire Academy/EMT School and is president of the board of directors for the Sabine
Volunteer Fire Department.