City of Pikeville Names Lieutenant Johnny Lee Cole New Fire Chief
Lt. Cole will be sworn in at Monday’s City Commission meeting.
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (September 26, 2022) – The City of Pikeville announced today that Lieutenant Johnny Lee Cole has been named Chief of Pikeville Fire Department and will begin serving in his new position on October 1st. Lieutenant Cole has been with the fire department for 14 years and served as a Pikeville 911 dispatcher for 6 years prior.
“Lieutenant Cole has been an integral part of the City of Pikeville’s fire department and city response team for 20 years. He is highly skilled, informed, and is an excellent leader,” said Pikeville Mayor Jimmy Carter. “We are proud to name him Pikeville’s new fire chief and know that he is the best person for the position.”
After the announcement of Fire Chief Patrick Bentley’s retirement this July, the city began a nationwide search for a leader of the Pikeville Fire Department. In addition to his combined 20 years of experience serving the City of Pikeville in the fire and emergency departments, Lieutenant Cole has been a leader across the community, including his service with the Wildland Fire Team and the Honor Guard, among other roles and volunteer positions.
“With two decades of proven leadership and dedication to keeping Pikeville residents safe, Lieutenant Cole will undoubtedly serve our community well in this new role,” said Pikeville City Manager Philip Elswick. “The City of Pikeville is fortunate to have such an exemplary fire chief and member of our community. Lieutenant Cole has a deep love for this City and his firefighters and incredible compassion for those in need. I look forward to his tenure as Fire Chief and the exciting developments that will follow.”
The Pikeville Fire Department has been a part of Lieutenant Cole’s life for even longer than the years he’s directly served. In fact, his father is a retired Captain from the City of Pikeville Fire Department.
“I am honored beyond words to be named your next fire chief. The City of Pikeville and its residents are a community like no other and I pledge to do all I can to protect and serve this special place,” said Fire Chief-elect Lieutenant Johnny Lee Cole “I am incredibly grateful for my entire family and want to share a special thank you to my wife Amanda and son Caden for their support as I begin this new position.”
Lieutenant Cole will be sworn in as Fire Chief at the City Commission meeting this evening.
