Palm Coast City Manager Appoints Next Fire Chief

Palm Coast City Manager Denise Bevan has appointed Battalion Chief Kyle Berryhill as the next Fire Chief of the Palm Coast Fire Department.  Chief Berryhill will succeed Fire Chief Jerry Forte at a formal Transfer of Command ceremony scheduled for October 14, 2022.  

At the June 7 Palm Coast City Council Meeting, City Manager Denise Bevan appointed Battalion Chief Berryhill during the recognition of 2021-22 LITE (Leadership in Training Experience) agenda item; Chief Berryhill is a 2018 LITE Team graduate. “It is truly an honor to be able to announce this very important appointment to Fire Chief of the Palm Coast Fire Department,” Ms. Bevan said. “Kyle is an invaluable member of our organization and is a mentor and friend to many, especially at the Fire Department. I hope you will join me in congratulating soon-to-be Fire Chief Berryhill on this well-earned promotion. And a very special thank you to Chief Jerry Forte on your dedication to this organization and this community, and for helping to raise up our future leaders.”

Battalion Chief Berryhill joined the Palm Coast Fire Department in August of 2005. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2011, Captain in 2017 and to Battalion Chief in 2019. He previously served as Interim Fire Chief in 2021 while Chief Forte served as Interim Assistant City Manager and Deputy Fire Chief Bradd Clark served as Interim Fire Chief of Flagler County Fire Rescue.

The Palm Coast Fire Department values their mentoring and succession planning programs, believing in training future generations and preparing the next person to move up. Over the last year, Battalion Chief Berryhill has been mentoring under Chief Forte and Chief Clark in order to prepare him for this opportunity. As part of the department’s succession plan, the department is prepared to make the appointments in the line of succession created by Berryhill’s appointment to Fire Chief.

“Over the last sixteen years, I have had the distinct privilege of watching Kyle Berryhill grow into one of the finest Chief Officers,” Fire Chief Jerry Forte said, “Kyle’s appointment is a direct reflection of our succession and mentoring programs by investing in our most precious asset, our people.”

Kyle is a native of Central Florida where he graduated from Lake Mary High School in 1997. He attended Central Florida Fire Academy for his EMT and Firefighter Certifications. He obtained his Paramedic Certification from Daytona State College in 2006. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Flagler College and a Masters of Public Administration from Barry University.

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