Mayor Mike Duggan appoints Charles Simms as Detroit fire commissioner

Mayor Mike Duggan officially appointed Detroit's interim fire commissioner to serve permanently at a Thursday announcement in northwest Detroit.

Charles Simms, who took on the role last year as interim commissioner while Duggan implemented a nationwide search, will continue running the department 37 years into his career in Detroit.

Simms, speaking after his appointment was announced, highlighted recent successes in the department, including:

• Dispatching 38-40 ambulances a day as opposed to 20-22 six months ago.

• Achieving response times below the national standard of 8 minutes to Detroit's 7 minutes and 15 seconds.

• Instituting a health and wellness program.

• Bringing in a new fleet of trucks and updated technology, along with offering free CPR and fire safety classes.

• Free installations of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and defibrillators in public places.

'You are Detroit-built and Detroit strong'

"I am aware of the immense responsibility that rests on my shoulders, and I will continue to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. With the self-sacrifice and support of the men and women of this department, I am confident we will continue to uphold the highest standards of service and ensure the safety and security of our beloved community," Simms said.

"I would be remiss if I didn't use this platform to inspire those young boys and girls who are growing up in similar situations as I did, including being raised in a single-parent household, not knowing my father and being labeled as a statistic," he added. "You are Detroit-built and you are Detroit strong."

Detroit's Fire Department has about 100 firefighters in the academy. Simms pushed the mayor to allow 18 private ambulances during the summer to expand services, said Duggan, emphasizing response times have significantly gone down from 20 minutes since taking office.

Why Duggan made Simms the permanent commissioner

Detroit City Council will need to approve Duggan's appointment within 30 days of receiving notice.

"I don't normally appoint interim directors. That's not my nature," Duggan said, adding that the department had issues with drinking and driving. "I'm really pleased to say that the job that Charles Simms has done in the last year and a half, reaffirmed my faith in the leadership of the men and women who were already here, and the commissioner knew what I was expecting."

Retired Fire Commissioner Harold Watkins Sr., who served as Simms' captain in 1986, was hired as the first Black chief of the department under former Mayor Coleman Young, he said. Watkins told Simms Thursday that he will be "the greatest there ever was," after him.

"Charlie, for all the time, I've known him, he's been just a person of high level. He's a great man. And he's going to do a great job as the fire commissioner because I taught him everything he knows," Watkins said.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mike Duggan appoints Charles Simms as Detroit fire commissioner