April 04—The deputy fire chief in Prince George’s County, Md., will be the next leader of the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department.
Joseph A. Cardello, who has nearly three decades of experience in the fire and rescue field, will become Stafford’s fire chief on May 1, according to a county press release. He succeeds Mark Lockhart, who is retiring at the end of this month after seven years with the county.
Cardello will make about $145,000 annually.
Stafford conducted a national search to fill the position, and County Administrator Tom Foley said Cardello’s experience, “progressive attitude” and educational background stood out. “Our Board of Supervisors wanted a candidate who would strengthen the bond between our volunteer and career members as we move forward in meeting the needs of a population that continues to expand,” Foley said.
Cardello comes from a much larger fire department, with 45 stations and more than 1,800 career and volunteer employees. Stafford, by comparison, has 13 stations and a total of 338 career and volunteer personnel.
Cardello climbed the ranks in Prince George’s—where he started as a firefighter in 1989 before becoming a battalion chief in 2009, an assistant fire chief in 2013, and the deputy fire chief in 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science from the University of Maryland and is working on a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Johns Hopkins University.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead a dynamic department such as Stafford Fire and Rescue and help it to grow and change along with the differing needs of the population,” Cardello said in a press release. “I have also heard great things about Stafford County and my family and I look forward to becoming a part of the community.”
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