The search for a new Fire Chief is over.
Jeremy Sidlauskas has been selected to serve as the new Chief of the Plant City Fire Rescue Department (PCFR). He will take over the department on Mon., Jan. 22.
Sidlauskas, a native Floridian and longtime resident of Pasco County who brings his wealth of expertise and dedication to the position, expressed gratitude and eagerness to serve the community in this new role. “It’s an honor to lead the dedicated men and women of Plant City Fire Rescue,” he said. “I started in a small fire department and to me it’s like a homecoming. I’m really excited to be going back and being part of a close-knit family and getting to know everybody.”
Sidlauskas has extensive experience as a fire service chief officer, including fire suppression, incident management, emergency medical services, fire prevention and investigations, prehospital critical care as a flight paramedic and emergency management.
His former professional positions include District Chief for the Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District (PSFRD), Adjunct Instructor in Fire Sciences for Eastern Oregon University and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Deputy Chief of Bureau of Professional Standards for the Pasco County Fire Rescue Department. He also previously served as a Reserve Deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and with Bayflite was a Flight Paramedic for more than 10 years.
Sidlauskas holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia Southern University. He has also received designations as a Chief Fire Officer and Executive Fire Officer.
He new role with PCFR will include operating a staff of 54 employees in three locations and providing Fire Protection and Prevention, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) medical transport services to local residents.
He’s already overwhelmed by the calls and text messages he’s been getting since the announcement. “I can’t say enough by the outpouring of support from different team members that have reached out to me,” he said. “I want to help everyone there exceed their potential and make Plant City Fire Rescue a destination for our firefighters.”
City Manager Bill McDaniel expressed confidence that Sidlauskas is the right person for the job and will lead the department with integrity, diligence and a steadfast commitment to the well-being of the community. “We engaged the services of Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to conduct a multi-state search for candidates to fill our Fire Chief position,” said City Manager Bill McDaniel. “This process resulted in dozens of applicants with varying levels of experience and training.”
The job posting described the right candidate as “an innovative, progressive and creative Fire Chief- with a collaborative management style- to take it’s Fire Department to the next level in providing exceptional service to the public.”
City officials narrowed the field to four candidates- two from Florida and two from other states. After completing the finalist screening process, McDaniel was convinced Sidlauskas was the best fit for the job. “His combination of experience, training and passion for the fire service will serve the department and our community very well.”
Sidlauskas will be introduced to the City Commission at its Jan. 22 meeting.
Interim Fire Chief Timothy Mossgrove will resume the role of Deputy Chief of Administration and the City’s Fire Marshal.