Washington, D.C., December 19, 2001 — R. David Paulison was sworn in Monday as the head of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) in a ceremony at the station of Engine 3 of the Washington, D.C. Fire Department.
As U.S. Fire Administrator, Paulison leads an agency that advocates for and supports state and local fire service programs. In addition to his responsibilities for fire service programs, he will implement the agency’s initiatives for emergency readiness, as well as firefighter training and equipment, in response to terrorism.
Paulison, who is a certified paramedic and a member of the Miami-Date Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, was fire chief of Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department from 1992 until his appointment as U.S. Fire Administrator. As Miami-Dade fire chief, he oversaw 1,900 personnel with a $200 million operating budget and a $70 million capital budget. He also oversaw the county’s emergency management office.
Paulison began his career as a rescue firefighter and rose through the ranks to rescue lieutenant, battalion commander, district chief of operations, division chief, assistant chief, and deputy director for administration before becoming chief. His emergency management experience includes Hurricane Andrew and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592.
A native of Miami, Paulison earned a bachelor of arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He was Florida’s 1993 Fire Chief of the Year. He is a member of several professional associations.
