Gwinnett To Get New Fire Chief, Revamped Facility

Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, which serves Duluth and almost all of Gwinnett's 805,000 residents, is getting a new leader and a revamped facility.

Gwinnett officials announced Tuesday (May 21) that Casey Snyder, a 24-year veteran of the department, will replace Bill Myers, who will retire on May 24 after 30 years with the county.

Also, the county announced that a $1.3-million expansion of Gwinnett’s Fire Academy will begin this summer.

Snyder, who will oversee the department of 800 employees, began his career in emergency services in 1984.

“Casey Snyder is the ideal choice to lead Fire and Emergency Services," Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens said in a news release. "Like his predecessor, Bill Myers, whom we will miss greatly, Casey started as a firefighter with the department and took on increasing responsibility with each step in his career. I am impressed with Casey’s devotion to the organization as reflected in his balanced, achievement-oriented management style of open communication and shared leadership."

Snyder, who holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee, also earned an associate of fire science from Perimeter College and a BS in Management from Shorter University. In addition, he is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. Casey lives in Gwinnett County with his wife, Beverly, and daughter, Ryley.

The fire academy, which is on Braselton Highway in Dacula, will get a new driving course on which firefighters will learn to maneuver fire engines, ladder trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

In addition to the heavy duty driving pad, the project includes a concrete block equipment storage building with an observation deck for instructors on the roof.

The voter-approved SPLOST sales tax program is funding the construction, which should be complete next spring.

Southeastern Site Development Inc. was the low responsive bidder to handle the facility work.