FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The City of Fresno made their new fire chief official on Thursday with a badge-pinning ceremony for new Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn.

Alcorn will be the 16th fire chief in the 146-year history of the Fresno Fire Department. Alcorn took the role of Interim Fire Chief following the retirement of former chief Kerri Donis.

According to city officials, Alcorn was recruited to the Fresno Fire Department in January of 2021 after serving as the Merced Fire Chief for nearly two years.

Officials say Chief Alcorn began his career in 2003 as a paid call firefighter with the Merced County Fire Department before becoming a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – and then the Merced City Fire Department.

You can watch the badge-pinning ceremony in the video player above.