Dallas Fire-Rescue’s Chief Justin Ball is familiar face

Ball has served in every rank since joining the department in 1997 and has led as interim chief since June.

By Chase Rogers
Staff Writer
Dallas Morning News

Justin Ball, a nearly 30-year veteran of Dallas Fire-Rescue who has served in every rank, including interim chief for nearly a year, has been named the fire department’s new chief, city officials announced Thursday.

Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, who made the final selection, praised Ball’s leadership and vision for the department’s future. Her announcement concludes a search that drew more than 30 applicants.

“Chief Ball has a demonstrated track record of strong leadership,” Tolbert said in a news release Thursday afternoon. “He has brought fresh ideas to solve problems and seized on innovative opportunities to take this internationally recognized department to the next level.”

Ball will assume the role on April 23 as the city’s 18th fire chief, leading one of its largest departments. Dallas Fire-Rescue operates with a $430 million budget and more than 2,000 personnel, including firefighters, emergency medical responders and civilian staff.

The search for a new Dallas Fire-Rescue chief ran parallel to the city’s ongoing effort to hire a new police chief — though it began later and wrapped up sooner than that effort.

Four finalists were ultimately selected and invited to Dallas City Hall last week for a public meet-and-greet, as well as interviews with City Council members and other stakeholders.

Ball, 54, was widely seen as a strong contender for the job, having served as interim chief since last June, when former chief Dominique Artis was promoted to a newly created public safety role overseeing the city’s police, fire, municipal courts and emergency services.

Leaders with the department’s fire associations had voiced support for Ball before the final selection. Lt. Jeff Patterson, president of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, the largest of the associations, praised the news of the final selection.

“We are excited to continue working with him as we move the department forward,” Patterson said in a message to The Dallas Morning News. “We are happy to have been included in the process and appreciate City Manager Tolbert for asking for our input.”

Ball is an England native who immigrated to Dallas more than three decades ago. He began his career with what was then called the Dallas Fire Department in 1997 and has since risen through the ranks, most recently serving as executive assistant chief of operations.

Last week, during the meet-and-greet, Ball touted his many years with Dallas Fire-Rescue, saying the department had been “good to me” and expressing an intent to return the favor.

“It’s an incredible honor to have been selected as the permanent chief to lead the brave men and women with whom I have the pleasure of working with each day,” Ball said in the release. “I look forward to building on our positive momentum, focusing on the safety and wellness of our members and continuing to deliver the best service to this community.”

Ball would be made available to media Monday for interviews, the release says. Last week, during a City Council briefing a day before the meet-and-greet, Ball and other Dallas Fire-Rescue leadership discussed the department’s budget, staffing and ongoing efforts to trim overtime without compromising emergency response — an effort the chief marked as a success so far.

City Council member and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua celebrated the results detailed in the presentation, specifically crediting Ball.

“I am very happy to see you come in and really show some accountability in this interim role,” Bazaldua told the chief during the April 2 meeting. “Quite frankly, this alone is something I would think elevates your chances at remaining at the helm.” Other city leaders on Thursday welcomed the decision as a positive step for Dallas Fire-Rescue.

City Council member Jesse Moreno, who sits on the city’s Public Safety Committee, commended Tolbert and said he had “come to admire and respect” Ball through their work together on transportation issues and entertainment districts.

“I look forward to working together for the betterment of our city,” Moreno said in a statement.

City Council member Chad West applauded the appointment, expressing hope Ball would advance the city’s goals with Vision Zero, an initiative focused on eliminating traffic fatalities and reducing severe injuries through improved infrastructure and strategic planning, among other means.

“When residents call 911 for a fire or collision emergency, they expect and deserve fast, reliable response times,” West said in a statement. “With Chief Justin Ball at the helm, I am confident that we’ll continue these trends in Dallas.”

City Council member Cara Mendelsohn, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said Ball had earned the respect of both department personnel and the Council, bringing an understanding of emergency response that blends “data, experience and compassion.”

“I appreciate the city manager evaluating serious outside candidates and realizing the best was already serving us in Dallas,” Mendelsohn said in a statement. The police and fire chief searches were conducted with the help of Public Sector Search and Consulting, a California-based firm retained by the city that recruits public safety executives.

The three other finalists were Todd Alt, an assistant chief with Tampa Fire Rescue in Florida; Raymond Hill, executive assistant chief with the Fort Worth Fire Department; and Samuel Peña, former chief of the Houston Fire Department.

Staff writer Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report.

Chase Rogers is a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. He grew up in Granbury, just outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and studied journalism at Texas State University in San Marcos. Before joining The News, he reported for the Austin American-Statesman and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. He can be reached at 361-239-6527.

These stories, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, are reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.