Assistant Chief of Administration

Assistant Chief Mike Williams

Michael Williams began his career at the Lakeland Fire Department (LFD) in 1998, as a firefighter, having served with Polk County Fire Rescue prior to joining the department. Before his promotion to Assistant Chief, Michael served as Battalion Chief since January 2010. Prior to his work as a Battalion Chief, he worked as a Lieutenant. Assistant Chief Williams holds several certifications, including State Fire Officer, Fire Instructor III, Fire Safety Inspector, Pump Operator, Florida Urban Search and Rescue Operations, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, among many others. He is also a certified paramedic.

Michael is a member of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Florida Firefighter Safety and Health Collaborative. He is also a member of the State of Florida Region 4/6 Incident Management Team, having most recently deployed in response to Hurricane Irma. 

Michael earned his associate's degree in Emergency Medical Services from Polk State College and a bachelor’s degree in Public Safety from Polk State College. Williams is a graduate of Florida State University’s Certified Public Manager program. He recently graduated from the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association (FFCA) Emergency Services Leadership Institute (ESLI) and is a 2022 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer course and has a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership/Fire Rescue Executive Leadership from Waldorf University.