New CA Fire Chief Sworn In: 'It's an Exciting Time'

Veteran firefighter Billy Alcorn on Thursday was sworn in as Merced’s new fire chief by Merced Mayor Mike Murphy in front of a crowd of more than 100 people including fellow fire personnel, city and county officials.

Following the oath of office, Alcorn’s wife Holly and children Ashland, Sofia and Colton pinned the badge to his uniform.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Alcorn to those in attendance. “We get to plan for a fire station relocation and also plan for the new fire station on the north side of town.”

Alcorn said that the fire department will work to continue building relationships with CAL FIRE, and local law enforcement agencies as well as the University of California Merced.

“The Merced Fire Department is a great organization that’s made up of 60 driven, motivated and passionate firefighters,” the 35-year-old Merced native said. “This organization has an incredible amount of resilience and with their motivation and support, we will successfully move the department into the future.”

City Manager Steve Carrigan described Alcorn as an exceptional candidate who “knows the needs” of the city and the department.

Alcorn started at the city fire department in 2004. During his time with the department, Alcorn has served as a firefighter, fire engineer, fire captain, and battalion chief before becoming the Deputy Fire Chief in 2015, according to a news release.

After City Fire Chief Michael Wilkinson retired in November, Alcorn served as the department’s Interim Chief until his first day as permanent chief on March 25.

He was named Firefighter of the Year in 2009.

The position pays $150,444.

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