Administration Staff

FIRE CHIEF JEFF SMITH



Chief Jeff Smith was appointed Fire Chief of the Galveston Fire Department in October 2010, and has been with the department since 1983. He has served as Captain, Safety Officer, Interim Training Chief, and Assistant Fire Chief. He is certified through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection as a Master Firefighter, Hazardous Materials Technician, Instructor, and an EMT.

Chief Smith leads the fire department administration, Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Safety/Training division. Chief Smith is an accomplished grant writer, which assists with the safety of the department and cost savings to the citizens. He works in the development and administration of department policy, long-range planning, budget forecasting and financial management of all department assigned funds, purchasing and repairs, facility compliance, quality assurance, firefighter safety, program management, and other assigned duties, such as the City of Galveston’s designated environmental response representative.

Chief Smith is an active participant in the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant program as a technical peer reviewer for the distribution of federal grant funds. He also sat on the NFPA 472 and the Coast Guard’s Chemical Transportation Advisory Committees which aided in the development of national training and response standards.

Chief Smith’s wife, DeAnn, is an Occupational Therapist, while his daughter attends Texas A&M University and his son is planning on studying music after graduation. In his spare time his passion has been with the Lighthouse Charity Team, where he is on the event selection committee and a volunteer coordinator and cook.



Contact Info
Phone: 409.797.3850
Fax: 409.797.3855

ASSISTANT CHIEF MIKE WISKO



Assistant Chief Mike Wisko is a 3rd generation Galveston Firefighter.

Born and raised on the island, he joined GFD in October 1988. He promoted up through the ranks to his current position of Assistant Fire Chief in October 2010.

He currently holds a Master Firefighter certification and has been a Paramedic since 1988. Chief Wisko has served on the Firefighter Advisory Committee of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection since 1995 and President of the Galveston County Firefighter’s Association since 1997. He is a member of Texas Task Force 1 (USAR) where he functions as a Plans Manager. He has also lectured a several state and National conferences on Firefighter Safety and Disaster Management.



Contact Info
Phone: 409.797.3850
Fax: 409.797.3855

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JOSIE HERNANDEZ


Contact Info
Phone: 409.797.3850
Fax: 409.797.3855