Division Chief & Battalion Chiefs Promoted

Dallas, Georgia, December 21st, 2020 – Paulding County Fire & Rescue announces the promotion of two long-time Department employees to senior leadership positions.
Jeff Groom will take over as Division Chief on A-shift where he will lead all field personnel and Fire/EMS operations every 3rd day for their 24-hour shift. This includes overall responsibility for all 13 Paulding County Fire stations and the 50 firefighters who staff them on a daily basis.
Groom, a US Army veteran, began serving Paulding County citizens as a volunteer in 1987. He was hired as a full-time firefighter in 1998 and has served 18 years as a company officer. Chief Groom is a Paramedic and accomplished fire officer with many Georgia and national certifications.
Captain Emory Epps has been named Battalion Chief on B-shift, filling Chief Groom’s position. Epps started his career as a volunteer in 1995 before being hired full-time in 2002. He is also an accomplished fire department officer - most recently serving dual roles leading all operations at Station 1, the busiest in Paulding County, and as Squad 1’s commanding officer.
Joey Pelfrey, PCFD’s Fire Chief, and Emergency Management Agency Director, commented, “I am thrilled to announce these men will continue serving our Department and the Citizens of Paulding in their elevated roles. We are fortunate to have them as leaders and mentors during day-to-day fire department activities. They both bring significant expertise to the job which guarantees our community receives world-class service while being vigilant to protect the safety of the Firefighters who will work under them.”
“Our Department has grown exponentially over the last several years. I am very proud to be able to cultivate quality leaders from within. Although we are not a large Department, PCFD is extremely lucky to have such high-quality employees in our midst. Our goal is to exceed the standards of service established by larger and more established counties that surround us. With personnel like this, we are very well poised for that kind of success on behalf of our citizens.”