Fire Chief Retires, City Appoints Deputy as Successor

Jan. 9 will be Dunedin Fire Chief C. “Bud” Meyer last day on the job.

He is retiring after 24 years working for Dunedin.

Dunedin's Deputy Chief Jeffrey Parks is named as Meyer's successor. His first day will be Jan. 10, a city news release says.

Dunedin officials will formally recognized both Meyer and Parks at Thursday's City Commission meeting at City Hall. 

Parks' promotion will result in several additional vacancies for deputy chief, district chief, and lieutenant positions within the Dunedin Fire Department, according to the city news release. All promotions will be made from within the department, the release says.

The city's news release says Dunedin officials announced Meyer's job vacancy nationally, but Parks' appointment was a unanimous decision. 

Parks came to Dunedin in September 2007 from Pasco County Fire Rescue, where he served as the administrative chief for three years. He also worked at East Lake Fire Rescue for about 20 years, where he served as fire chief for five years. All together, Parks has 30 years of fire and rescue experience to the job and has worked in roles as a fire chief, fire marshal and has supervised a Fire Prevention Bureau. He is nationally accredited as a chief fire officer and completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy.  

Parks holds a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University and a bachelor’s from Eckerd College. He is married to wife Lisa. Son Jeffrey Jr. recently completed the Fire Academy at St. Petersburg Junior College.