Janelle Irwin Taylor
Interim St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Keith Watts is dropping the “interim” from his title, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch announced.
Welch selected Watts to fill the position permanently after former Chief Jim Large retired from the position earlier this year after 18 years in the leadership role and 50 years with the Department overall.
Watts accepted the position with a priority toward furthering innovation, safety, equitable practices and community engagement.
Watts has served with St. Pete Fire Rescue since 2018, first as the Division Chief of Administration and most recently as Interim Chief. Watts will be the 11th Fire Chief to serve the Department since its founding in 1907. He is also the first African American to hold the top job.
“With his leadership and longtime career in public safety, I am confident he will continue to uphold the high standards of service our community deserves,” said Welch, himself the first African American to hold the Mayor’s Office. “Chief Watts brings both experience and dedication, and I look forward to working with him on making intentional progress within the department and throughout St. Pete.”
Watts will focus on enhancing emergency response capabilities within the Department, as well as advancing firefighter training programs. Watts also plans to increase public safety awareness throughout the St. Pete Community, and to modernize departmental operations to meet the needs of a growing city and its residents.
“I am deeply honored to serve as Fire Chief for this dedicated team of professionals. Together, we will continue to prioritize safety, innovation, and community engagement, ensuring that we remain a strong and reliable presence for the people we serve,” Watts said. “I am eager to build on St. Petersburg Fire Rescue’s foundation while advancing our mission to serve and protect the lives and properties of the St. Pete community.”
Watts began his career in public safety with Orange County Fire Rescue in 1991, while also serving as a combat medic in the Florida Army National Guard. He was awarded the Florida Commendation Medal for lifesaving efforts after work during a deployment to Miami following Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Watts held leadership roles with Orange County Fire Rescue, including as Battalion Chief of Special Projects, a role in which Watts managed the Department’s standard operating procedures and led strategic planning initiatives. Additionally, he oversaw the Department’s national accreditation process through the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Watts has also served as incident commander at numerous fire, EMS and hazardous material incidents. He also played a key role, in partnership with the Pinellas County Urban League this Summer, in launching “Camp Ignite,” the city’s first-ever all-female firefighting camp aimed at engaging, empowering and encouraging teenage girls to consider fire service.
Watts earned a master’s degree in management with a focus on human resources from the University of Central Florida, and has several professional certifications, including Chief Fire Officer credentials. He’s a 2020 graduate of Leadership St. Pete and of the Eckerd College Leadership Development program. He also holds several certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Fire Academy.
Watts will report directly to Welch and will serve as a member of the Mayor’s Executive Cabinet. While the appointment is effective immediately, a pinning ceremony and swearing-in will be held, with a date to be determined.
Watts replaces Large, who retired from the department in March. Long announced his retirement in January after controversy led to a temporary suspension amid an investigation into allegations that Large had created a hostile work environment, which he denied. Large was ultimately cleared and returned to duty.
